


A different life

by Chevalier_Barthelemy



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Celebrity Life, Dysfunctional Family, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Feels, Five and Vanya are the same age, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kinda, Love, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Powerful Vanya Hargreeves, Pregnancy, Relationship Issues, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Smut, Some Humor, Sort Of, Substance Abuse, Temps Commission, Tragically Pining Idiots, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vanya is a member of the Umbrella Academy, What-If, fiveya - Freeform, superhero life, you have yo read it to understand why
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:33:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 111,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26476531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chevalier_Barthelemy/pseuds/Chevalier_Barthelemy
Summary: As a desperate move, Five used a device created by the commission to send everyone’s conscience back in time. Unfortunately, the device didn’t work for everyone, and not exactly as he expected.The last thing she remembered she had been imprisoned under the academy, the next thing she knew she was waking up in a strange apartment, with an entirely different life and also engaged to an older version of Five. Could her day get any weirder?AU where Vanya gets transported to an alternate reality.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves/Luther Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 750
Kudos: 654





	1. Waking up

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, so welcome to A different life fan fiction. I gotta say, I'm really excited about it! 
> 
> Anyways, this is a Fiveya story that is a bit of a slow burn, you kinda have to read it to understand why lol. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just let you guys read it.

' _Five, are you sure about this?' Allison asked._

_Taking a while to respond, Five sighed._

' _It's the only thing I can think of."_

' _But we don't even know where. I mean_ _ **when**_ _you'll be sending us to, what if it goes horribly wrong?' This time it was Luther who spoke._

' _It could most certainly go horribly wrong, but we don't have any other choice, do we?!'_

_Halfway between unconsciousness and awareness, Vanya vaguely heard the voices argue. She tried to stay awake for as long as possible, but the darkness around her was suffocating, overtaking her, until she gave in and felt herself fall._

_down, down, down…_

* * *

_March 21st, 2019_

Vanya gave out a soft hum as she slowly drifted back to consciousness. She was lying on a soft, fluffy cloud-like bed, wrapped in a comforter that was keeping her toasty warm. Outside, the sun was rising, shining soft morning light into the room which the curtains kept to a minimal, doing their job to keep the light from disturbing her sleep.

Burying her nose into her pillow, she sighed. She loved these kinds of mornings. The only thing ruining it was the voice at the back of her, head telling her there was something obviously off about all this. However, Vanya simply wrinkled her nose and waved the voice away. She was just too comfortable to care, not when every fibre in her body was telling her to stay in her warm cozy bed and sleep for as long as possible.

Dutifully following her body's need, she snuggled closer to her pillow and pulled on her blanket, cocooning herself into a human, blanket burrito. With a small satisfied smile, she sighed. That was when everything came crashing back to her.

The apocalypse, Leonard, the concert, Luther, Diego, Klaus, Five, Allison, Pogo…

Her eyes snapped open.

Bolting up in her, once comfortable bed but now felt like it was suffocating her, she looked around the room, her heart hammering inside her chest.

Shocked and confused, she felt a panic attack rise up inside her when she suddenly realized that she was in a completely unfamiliar place.

Survival instincts kicking in before anything, she looked at her surroundings with wide, confused eyes.

She was in an apartment, that was much clear due to the floor to ceiling windows that made up most of the walls.

Looking to the side, she frowned when she saw the fine, expensive stones that made up the wall and the long, modern fireplace in it. By the fireplace, there was an expensive-looking, black leather couch with a large ottoman in front of it.

Now turning her attention to the bed she looked at the comforter in confusion when she felt the silky, fine cloth, nothing like her own, old, worn-out blanket.

Blinking a couple of times, she looked around the room, confused and scared.

This was most definitely not her apartment, much less the cell Luther had put her in. So where the hell was she?

Before she could look for any more clues, or even try to come up with an explanation, one of the doors in the room opened.

Whipping her head to the side, she looked at the door, eyes widening when a tall man walked through it. She tensed even further when she noticed his state of undress. As if waking up in some unknown apartment, completely confused as to how she got there wasn't enough, there also had to be a practically naked man added into the mix.

The man's chest was bare, the only thing he had on him was the towel that was lazily wrapped around him, covering his modesty.

"Oh, you're awake," the man said, his voice oddly familiar but for the life of her, she couldn't place it. The man didn't even look at her as he continued to walk. "I thought you said you were going to sleep in."

Utterly confused as to what was going on, Vanya opened and closed her mouth, gaping at the man as he made his way to the set of double doors across the room. As he walked there, Vanya's eyes followed him.

His height was average, not overly tall but not short either, around the same height as Diego but slightly shorter she figured. His hair was dark brown, it was currently slicked back, damp from the shower he just took. Finding her eyes roaming down, she felt self-conscious as she checked him out, but couldn't bring herself to stop. She just woke up in some strange place, with a half-naked man strolling inside the room like it was no big deal, she had the right. And besides, she needed to know if he was a threat to her.

Eyes falling to his abs, she was a little surprised. By how defined the man's abs and muscles were, he clearly worked hard to stay fit. However, he wasn't at all bulky, his frame was skinny, no fat whatsoever.

Eyes catching on the few faint scars on the man's body, she frowned.

She had never been shot in her life, and she would rather keep it that way, but that didn't mean she didn't know what a bullet scar looked like. In her time in the academy, she had sometimes aided mom with administering first aid to her siblings when they came back from missions. Sometimes, bullet wounds were the kind of wounds her siblings came home with, so she is very familiar with what a scar from a bullet wound looked like. The scars the man had were clearly from getting shot at.

Who the hell was this man? Who seemed oddly familiar, like a long lost acquaintance she hadn't talked or seen in a very long time. At the same time, he clearly was in a profession where getting shot at was a regular thing, and that made her tense.

Well, whoever he was, he was clearly the owner of this apartment, and possibly a danger to her.

Opening the double doors, the man disappeared inside what she suspected was a large walk-in closet. Vanya kept staring at the double doors, mind still trying to catch up with her.

"The university called, they want me to come immediately," the man said from inside the closet, his voice not sounding at all pleased. "Apparently there was a bit of a miscalculation in one of the experiments, and now there's a dangerous chemical spillage that's getting worse by the second."

Vanya leaned forward on the bed, mouth still opened as she kept looking at the closet. Whoever this man is, she was starting to discard the possibility that he was some sort of kidnapper.

No kidnapper would walk into a room half-naked, and converse with her like there was nothing out of the ordinary, so clearly there was something much weirder at work here.

Looking at her own hands, her mind went back to the last thing she remembered, trying to understand how she got here. The last thing she remembered was being inside a prison under the academy. Luther, her own brother, had put her there and then….

Eyes widening, she began to hyperventilate again when the full realization of what happened hit her.

She had killed Leonard, granted that he deserved it, but most importantly she had hurt Allison, nearly killing her, and that wasn't all. In a blind rage, she killed Pogo, destroyed the academy, hurt her family, and caused the apocalypse. And now she woke up in some apartment, with some strange man. What was wrong with her? What was happening?

"I keep telling them to check with me before doing any experiments of this nature," the man huffed, oblivious of the panic attack she was having.

When she let out a shaky, sob, however, the man seemed to realize something was wrong as he poked his head from the closet, frowning as his eyes met hers for the first time.

Finally meeting his eyes, she instantly recognized who the man was.

His eyes were a soft, hue of green that looked a little blue when the sunlight coming from the window hit them just right. A very familiar set of eyes, the ones she grew up looking at for reassurance, or when she needed someone to confide in, or the eyes she used to look at with a smile. The eyes that had shaken her to the core when she saw them again but were much colder than she ever remembered them to be. The eyes that were looking at her with concern that very moment.

If his eyes didn't give away who he was, the spatial jump he did from the closet to the bed where she laid did.

"Five?" She asked, her voice slightly shaky, unable to believe that it was him, in an older body of himself.

Now wearing a set of dress pants, and a half buttoned-up shirt, stopping her from getting distracted, not to mention that he was a lot closer, she could actually see that it was indeed Five.

From the way his bangs flopped down the side as usual, to his sharp jaws, and striking eyes, the only thing he was missing was his usual cocky, overconfident smile. Still, she knew it was him, without a doubt, and yet this Five was different from the one she knew, from the one stuck in his thirteen-year-old body. Of course, there was the fact that this Five had no baby fat on his face, but a tiny hint of stubble instead. But it wasn't just that. This Five's gaze was different, devoid of any coldness, or hardships the other one got after spending his life in the future. In fact, this Five's gaze was more like that of his younger counterpart, the Five before he left the academy.

His brows knit together as he looked at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked, leaning forward and placing a hand on her forehead, trying to check her temperature. For an odd second, she felt the urge to get away from his touch, sill much too shocked and confused but then she quickly melted to it.

Dropping his hand from her forehead when he didn't feel a fever, Vanya nearly whined, craving the contact. However, what he said next had her forget entirely about his warm touch.

"You're not pregnant are you?" He asked, worried, eyes widening, looking down at her stomach then back at her.

Freezing completely still, she took in a sharp breath, and her brows raised.

' _What?!'_ Vanya wanted to ask but she was both too utterly confused, and shocked, that her voice refused to work for her.

Seeming to notice her shock, he cocked his head, his brows softening.

"I mean, it's alright if you are," he said softly, taking her hand in his. "Sure, we did agree to try but I thought you said you wanted to wait until after the wedding to get off the pill."

Vanya's eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets.

THE WHAT?

That had been the last straw of weirdness as Vanya felt bile rise inside her as panic began to overtake her.

Pushing Five away from her she ran to the door he had come out of, guessing it must be the washroom. In her haste to get out of there, she hadn't realized that she was completely naked, but at that moment she couldn't care less. She had much more pressing things on her mind.

Banging the door closed and making sure to lock it behind her, not wanting Five, or this version of Five, whoever he was, to come inside the room. Barely looking at the equally fancy washroom, she sat on the toilet and put her face in her hands, refusing to empty the contents of her stomach.

Shaking her head she closed her eyes.

This must be some sort of joke, some sort of elaborate scheme, or a very realistic dream or whatever, but she refused to believe it was real. One minute she was atop of the stage at the Icarus theatre, her conscience overtaken by anger, unable to even think properly she simply laid waste to everything around her, not even understanding why she was doing it. To waking up on a soft bed apparently engaged to an older version of Five? No, it just didn't make sense, it could not be real. She had to wake up.

Tensing when a soft knock came from the door, she turned her head and looked at it.

"Vanya?" Five said her name softly, his voice sounded concerned. "Is everything alright?"

Vanya kept looking up at the door. For a second she was a little tempted to open it after hearing the genuine concern in his voice but shook her head and placed it back on her hands.

This couldn't be real, she must be going crazy.

A few seconds went by, and Vanya honestly thought Five would just jump inside the bathroom, but he didn't, instead, she heard the rustle of clothes, as he no doubt slipped his phone out of his pant pocket.

Sighing, he spoke.

"Look, I can't keep the university waiting, the spillage could become dangerous if I don't see to it," he said, sounding genuinely annoyed that he had to leave. "Just lie down and rest. On my way to the university, I'll call Ben and have him come and look at you."

Head jerking up, she looked at the door once more.

Ben? Did Five just say, Ben? He was alive? But how? And why would he call Ben of all people? Of course, she wanted to see him, it's been seventeen years since she'd seen her brother, but why Ben? What was going on?

She didn't ask any of those questions as she dumbly kept looking at the door.

Five sighed once more.

"If you feel worse just call me. I'll come back if you do, spillage or not, ok?" He asked, his voice sounding more concerned.

Vanya gulped and opened her mouth to answer, but she found she couldn't. How could she? She just landed into some strange reality with no idea how she even got here.

After a long ten seconds went by and he was sure she wasn't going to answer, she heard Five leave.

* * *

" _I don't even know if the device will work on all of us, but if it does we may end up scattered around the timeline," Five said._

_Everyone groaned, not happy about that._

" _But we do know one thing, we have to end up somewhere in our old bodies, before this very date. So wherever we are, we all have to promise to meet up at Griddy's on March twenty-first, two thousand and nineteen. Got it?"_

* * *

Waking up with a start, Vanya looked around the washroom, disoriented.

After locking herself inside she had spent an hour, panicking and wondering what was going on, when she decided to take a shower hoping that it would calm her down but no such luck.

Standing in front of the shower faucet she had looked at it for a long minute, trying to figure out how to turn on the water seeing as it was completely digitalized. After a few minutes of frustratingly pressing buttons, she finally figured it out only for the water to only come out freezing cold. Just perfect.

After her icy cold shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and unable to go back into the room, she sat on the toilet again, gazing at the wall. At one point she fell asleep, head against the sink counter. Apparently, however, all she needed was some sleep as she now remembered something, it was small but it was something.

' _Meet up at Griddy's on March twenty-first, two thousand and nineteen.'_

That's what Five had said, the other Five and the only thing she remembered. Well, she didn't know what it meant but if there was a chance by going there she might get some answers, then that's exactly where she was heading. Not to mention that, on the overly digitized shower faucet, it had said the date and time, interestingly enough the same date as today. Could it be that Five had sent her to this time on purpose, intending her to end up here?

Slowly opening the washroom door, she looked around the empty room, making sure there was no one around. She wasn't ready to face this reality's Five again.

Yes reality, she thought that this whole thing was a dream but now she's convinced she's somehow been transported to a different reality, one where she's apparently engaged to Five and who knows what else is different. That's why she needed to be careful.

Walking to the double doors where Five had gone to get changed, knowing it to be the closet, she practically tiptoed there, towel wrapped around her. Walking inside the walk-in closet, she made sure to close the doors behind her and turned on the light.

Unlike the rest of the room and washroom, the walk-in closet was simple. To the right hung suits, blazers, and neatly folded shirts that belonged to Five. Looking at his clothes, she wasn't at all surprised when she didn't see any clothes that weren't formal or semi-formal. Five never was one to dress in jeans and a t-shirt.

Turning on the spot she faced the other side of the closet, where all her clothes were. Unlike his grey and white clothes, her's were somewhat more colourful.

Walking towards her section of the closet, she flipped through the hangers, trying to find something to wear that wasn't a skirt or a dress. When she reached the end she finally found a pair of pants and a plain beige blouse.

Holding the blouse out, she grimaced, definitely not something she would wear but she had to make do. If this was indeed another reality, and she was somehow in the body of this reality's Vanya then she had to act the part, at least until she figured out what was going on. Five did always say that it wasn't a good idea to alter time.

As she slipped on the clothes, her eyes landed on something on the inside of her wrist. Frowning she looked down at it, when she turned her wrist she froze.

On her pale skin, there was a tattoo that had not been there before, one she only ever dreamed of having. The Umbrella academy symbol.

Eyes widening, she reached with her other hand and traced the small symbol with her index finger, wondering if she was imagining it. With all that's happened within the span of two hours, she wouldn't be surprised if she was now seeing things. However, when the tattoo wrinkled with her skin as she pinched it she knew it truly was real, but then came the even more important question. How can it be real? She's not a member of the academy, she's never had powers, well that wasn't entirely true anymore, was it. Could it be that this Vanya knew about her powers and became a member of the Umbrella Academy? That was the only answer, but one thing was for sure, things only seemed to get stranger and stranger.

Exiting the closet she put the wet towel inside the hamper and went back inside the washroom to grudgingly do her makeup. Something told her that this Vanya was big on makeup, so unless she wanted to call unwanted attention to herself she also had to wear some.

Looking around the room, she looked for a wallet and a phone. Eyes landing on the nightstand, she looked at the phone and wallet resting there.

Walking to the nightstand, she grabbed the phone, thanking whoever invented fingerprint recognition. Unlocking her phone, the first thing she did was go straight to the photo app. Hoping it could tell her something about this Vanya.

Interestingly enough, there weren't that many pictures on the phone, in fact, the phone seemed far to new to her so it's possible that this Vanya recently got it. However, the few pictures that were on it had her frowning.

There were six pictures of her and Five together, most of them with Five in the background doing his own thing, looking at the camera with pure annoyance while she was smiling widely. Five never did like pictures, she guessed this Five was the same. She flipped through the pictures, finding just one picture that had Five smiling off into the distance, not realizing that she had taken the picture. What he was smiling at, she didn't know but she guessed he was no doubt finding amusement in someone's misfortune.

Shutting off her phone, she shook her head and put it inside her pocket. The pictures didn't give her any answers, in fact, it only gave her more questions. Those pictures, the ones she was in, she was nearly always smiling which was strange. It's not that she didn't smile, it's just that she rarely smiles with that much genuine happiness. It was like that Vanya was an entirely different person.

Lifting the wallet towards her face, she opened it and was glad to find some cash and credit cards. Rummaging through the wallet, she found a small photo booth picture tucked inside one of the pockets.

Taking the picture out, she looked at it. The corner of her mouth quirked a little, even though she was just as confused by it.

The picture was old, having been taken when she was around sixteen due to how young she looked and no longer having her bangs. In the picture, she was smiling widely. Behind her stood Five, arms around her, chin resting on top of her head, a cocky side smile on his lips. Given how close and familiar they were with each other, it seems that the relationship this Vanya had with Five started from a young age. Looking at the picture, a Vanya that had lost Five when she was thirteen, she wondered if she too would have developed something with her Five if he hadn't disappeared. It was impossible to say, but a part inside her told her that yes, she would have. After all, they always were close, even as small children, it's very likely that would have developed into something more.

Taking a deep breath, not wanting to dwell on what could have been, she placed the picture back inside the wallet and slipped it inside her back pocket. She was thankful this Vanya preferred small, pocket-sized wallets rather than those overly large and fancy ones most women carry these days.

Once she had everything and was ready to head out, she took a deep breath and exited the room.

As expected, the rest of the house was just as lavish as the bedroom.

Walking onto the living room, she looked around it. The living room was large with a sectional couch facing a large flat screen tv on the wall, and a coffee table between them. Turning her head she looked at the dining room with a large dining table with eight spots. All around the walls of the house hung large, abstract paintings that she just knew must cost more than her old apartment.

"Good morning Miss Hargreaves!" A friendly, cheerful voice greeted.

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Vanya turned on the spot to look at the other person in the apartment she hadn't noticed. It was an older lady, wearing what appeared to be a cleaning maid uniform.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am I didn't mean to startle you," the lady apologized.

Taking in a deep breath, she gave her a friendly smile, at the same time feeling a little uneasy. she's never had a maid before, so she didn't know how to interact with her, and that made her feel incredibly awkward. Sure, she didn't exactly live a modest life back at the academy, being one of the adopted children of an eccentric billionaire, but never once had they had a maid. And while she vaguely remembers having nannies at some point, mom was the one that did all the cleaning and cooking.

"No, it's ok I just, I wasn't expecting you."

The lady looked at her confused until she nodded as if she had realized something.

"Understandable ma'am. Mr. Hargreeves left me a message saying that you're feeling a little under the weather." Once again the woman frowned. "He also, insisted that you stay in and rest."

"Did he?" she asked, not at all surprised.

She should have known that this version of Five would be just as controlling.

Looking at the wall she tried to find a key hanger, anything where Five might keep the house and car keys. At first, she thought this was Five's apartment, but it seems it's also hers and if she had an apartment like this then she definitely has a car, which means that somewhere in this apartment are her car keys.

"Do you know where my car keys are?" She asked, hoping that she is right and indeed does own a car. Thankfully it seems that she was correct. Going to one of the tables by the wall, the maid reached inside a bowl full of keys and walked up to her.

"I found them on the couch this morning, so I thought I'd put them back inside the bowl so you don't lose them."

Handing her the keys, Vanya looked down at the key and the fob, eyes widening when she saw the Audi insignia. For someone that didn't even own a car, and sometimes had to rummage for loose change to take public transit she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Pulling her face down into an expressionless one, she nodded. She had to act like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Thank you," she said.

Walking to the bowl of keys, keeping a mental note as to where it was, she reached inside and took out the only other key left in the bowl, her own copy of the apartment key she guessed.

Deciding not to give the maid any further explanations she opened the door of the apartment, however before she could leave the maid spoke.

"Are you sure that's a good idea miss Hargreeves? Your fiancé was very adamant about you staying inside the apartment until he comes back."

Vanya nodded and gave the maid a reassuring smile as she opened the door and without saying a word she exited.

* * *

[Link to moodboard ](https://chevalier12.tumblr.com/post/639456495287828480/a-different-life-as-a-desperate-move-five-used-a)


	2. New life new car

In the parking lot, filled with cars all fancier than the last, Vanya quickly turned her head from one side to the other, trying to find her car, something she thought would be easy.

However, after going through two parking levels, looking from Audi to Audi, she realized it wasn't going to be so easy at all.

Pressing the key fob, she listened for a beep, anything that would let her know where her car was.

Finally, after making it halfway through the parking lot, she heard a sharp beep and Vanya sighed, relieved.

Walking to the direction of the sound, her eyes widened when she looked at the car and she instantly understood why she had such a hard time finding it.

Unsure as to what model her car would be, she had been looking for a cheaper, middle-class affordable Audi, the one low tire businessman had, but that was not the case. The car she stood in front of, looking at in shock, was too elegant, and incredibly expensive-looking to cost less than two a hundred grand.

Eyes wide, mouth falling open, she began to walk around the car, not once believing this was hers. However, when the car beeped one more time it was proven that, indeed, this was her car.

Taking a step back to look at it, she took it all in, once again wondering how on earth she was able to all afford this? In her own timeline, she could barely even afford her old rundown apartment, struggling to make ends meet. Obviously, this wasn't the case in this timeline, seeing as she and Five are rich, but then there was the question how? From what he said this morning it seems that Five works at some university as some sort of scientist, and was probably high up in his profession. A career like that would grant him a bit of income but not to this level. Sure, they are the adopted children of a billionaire, but she doubted their father so much as gave them a penny. When he died there was never any talk about any will or inheritance of any kind. She hadn't put it past him to leave them with nothing just so he could have the last laugh. That being said, she doubted this reality's Reginald was any better.

When she heard a soft click of a camera in the distance, followed by a faint flash, Vanya jumped on the spot, snapping out of her thoughts.

Frowning for a second, she looked around the parking lot, looking for whoever had taken the picture but came up empty.

Thinking it was just her imagination, being on edge, she shook her head and got in the car. It had probably been something else, after all, who on earth would take pictures or her?

Now inside the car, behind at the wheel, she was instantly overwhelmed by all the controls in front of her. Starting with the simplest thing, she looked for somewhere to place the key to start the car, but when she couldn't find it, she wracked her brain. Eventually, her eyes landed on a small red button that said, ' _start engine,'_ and she gently pressed it, nearly jumping out of her seat when the engine came to life, practically growling at her.

Grabbing the steering wheel tightly, brows knitting together as she took in a sharp breath, she half expected the car to somehow go flying even though she hadn't pressed anything. When that didn't happen, however, the engine just stayed in a low growling sound, she looked around the car.

She didn't have the first clue as to how to drive a car like this, one that could no doubt have her hitting one hundred miles per hour in less than a second. Not to mention, that she doubted that a car like this was automatic. She wasn't the car enthusiast of the family, she didn't even know the car model, just that it's an expensive Audi. The ones that were car enthusiast was Diego and Five but mostly fascinated with the engineering aspect of it. However, from what she remembered Diego saying, sports cars are usually manual and not automatic, and of course, there's the fact that she has no idea how to drive with manual transmission. Not to mention that she didn't see a gear shifter anywhere.

Taking in a deep breath, she thought she might give it a try and see what happens. It was either that or taking public transit which, now that she knows what kind of car she has, she wasn't too keen on doing.

Barely pressing on the accelerator, she was initially startled by the growling engine behind her. However, when that feeling passed, she strangely found herself going into a bit trance-like state soon after.

Almost as if her body knew what it was doing, she found the shifting paddles behind the wheel and began to smoothly drive the car out of the parking lot, as if it was second nature to her.

With wide eyes, and gaping mouth she drove the car through the lavish gates of the apartment and onto the city streets, driving better than she'd ever had before.

Completely surprised, she looked from the dashboard to the street. She didn't know how, but she somehow knew how to drive the car. Knew that she needed to put it in comfort mode, not at all shocked when the car threw her forwards slightly and then back in a matter of a second, completely having expected it.

Could it be that some of the knowledge and skills Vanya of this reality has got transferred to her? It's the only explanation because otherwise, she would have totalled the car before she even managed to get out of the parking lot.

Trying not to think too hard on it, finding herself doing that a lot since she woke up just to keep herself sane, she drove the car through the busy streets. Even if she somehow got the city knowledge, and street layout from this Vanya, she didn't need it. She knew the city like the back of her hand.

Remembering her way back to the apartment, she drove to Griddy's, being not far from the apartment. However, due to heavy traffic, she arrived thirty minutes later.

As she parked the car she noticed a few people eyeing her, no doubt checking out the car. However, when she turned off the ignition, they looked away and went about their business.

Making sure the doors were locked, Vanya gave the car one last look, not wanting to leave it there all alone in a not so great neighbourhood. But ultimately, she just left it there and opened the door to the donut shop.

As she opened the doors, the sweet smell of donuts and coffee wafted around her, hitting her nose, instantly giving her a feeling of nostalgia.

Standing by the door for a second, she looked at the donut shop with a half-smile when all those memories of her childhood came to her. She remembered every time she and her siblings sneaked out of the house dead at night to get some donuts, somehow fitting all seven of them in one of the booths, smiling and laughing as they somehow didn't give themselves diabetes. She remembered how Five would mischievously dare Diego to eat as many donuts in under a minute, knowing that it would only make Diego sick, but Diego didn't seem to realize that as he would always take on the challenge much to Five's amusement. How Klaus, Luther, Ben and Five would laugh at Diego after realizing his mistake, while she and Allison would roll their eyes. How they would return back to the academy feeling sick and bloated but still looking forward to going back. Of course, there was never a next time, not after Five disappeared, much less after Ben died. Without both of them there, it just felt wrong.

Her smile fell.

Stepping inside the shop, the door closed behind her.

Despite how long it's been since she's been here, nothing seems to have changed much, finding that oddly comforting. She may be in a completely different reality, but at least Griddy's still the same old Griddy's.

Looking for a spot to sit in, she quickly found one, not having to look very far, seeing as the shop was empty, something she found surprising.

Over the years it seems Griddy's lost some of its popularity. When she used to come here with her siblings as kids it used to be jammed packed most of the time. Now, however, there was one person occupying one of the booths and two other people sitting by the counter, busy reading the newspaper. Of course, it's still morning and it is a school day.

Taking a sit on one of the stools, she propped her elbows on the counter and looked at the only waitress behind said counter.

Looking up from her cleaning, the older lady noticed her and put down the small towel, and made her way to where she sat, taking out a small notebook from her breast pocket. When she was finally in front of her, the waitress opened her mouth when her eyes landed on her and her eyes widened.

Frowning, Vanya looked from side to side and then behind her, thinking that maybe she was looking at something else. However, when she was convinced that she was looking at her, Vanya's cheeks reddened, feeling self-conscious. Was she sitting somewhere she wasn't supposed to be sitting? Is there something on her face?

For a long few seconds, the waitress kept staring at her with the same wide eyes, and shocked expression, until she seemed to re-gather herself. At first, Vanya thought the waitress would make a comment, or explain why she was looking at her in such a manner, but then she simply cleared her throat and raised her little notebook to take her order.

"What will you be having dear?"

Stomach grumbling ins response, she was made aware of how hungry she was. In her haste to get out of the apartment, she hadn't realized that she had left without eating breakfast, something she usually forgot anyways. However, seeing how her body was demanding food, it was clear that this Vanya was used to eating breakfast every morning. Unfortunately, however, she was at a donut shop, it's unlikely they sell anything without any sugar except for coffee.

After a second to think it over, she came up with the most generic order she could come up with.

"I'll have a coffee, two creams, two sugars and a glazed chocolate donut please."

The friendly waitress nodded, writing her order down before leaving.

Thinking how odd the waitress was behaving, especially as she kept staring at her as she made her coffee, Vanya took out her phone to distract her from the strangeness.

Unlocking her phone, she opened the safari app and searched up the first, most pressing thing that had been in her mind for a while.

_Ben Hargreeves_

She typed into the search bar and pressed enter.

Hundreds of results came up, and she was presented with a few of his pictures, a lot of them from his time in the academy, small boy, covered in blood and wearing his domino mask. However, her eyes were set on the most recent picture of him.

Eyes glistening, Vanya placed her hand over her mouth.

It was just a headshot of Ben, wearing what seemed to be a lab coat. However, what had her nearly crying right there and there was the genuine smile on his lips, not to mention how he had aged. Last time she saw Ben he had been fourteen years old, just a kid. Ever since he had died she always found herself wondering what he, and also Five, would have looked like all grown up. Five, she now knew, in great detail, but Ben? It made her chest fill with happiness with how he had grown up but still had the same, tender soft eyes as before.

Before she really did end up crying like an idiot over a picture, the waitress came back and placed a mug and a plate with a donut in front of her.

Looking up, she swallowed the sob that was trying to escape her throat and thanked the waitress. Reaching inside her pocket to get her wallet, the waitress waved her hands.

"There's no need, it's in the house," the lady said with a kind smile.

Vanya's brows shot up, but she didn't argue with the lady as she smiled and left. It's free coffee after all. However, it did make her wonder why she was being so charitable.

Taking in a deep breath, she shrugged it off and took a sip of her coffee, and a bite of her donut and went back to her phone.

Scrolling through her phone, she was frustrated when she only found articles about Ben's time in the Umbrella Academy. She didn't care about that, she wanted to know about his personal life, what he's been up to in this reality. Settling with Wikipedia, she opened the article on him.

Her eyes skimmed through the introductory details, knowing all of them until she hit a part she didn't know.

_Unlike some of the former members of the Umbrella Academy, Ben Hargreeves has completely put down the mantle of superhero and has instead taken up the life of a regular citizen. Currently, Ben is a neurosurgeon at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York._

Her brows shot up, followed by a smile.

So Ben became a doctor? She wasn't at all surprised. He always was a kindhearted individual, it made perfect sense that his profession involved helping and saving people's lives. She was happy for him, immensely so. Glad that he survived and made something of his life, outside the oppressive academy that only got him killed.

Finishing her coffee, she tapped on the article on Five however before it could open, the doors to the donut shop banged open, prompting her to turn on the spot, mouthful of donut still in her mouth.

"Vanya?!"

Vanya nearly choked on her donut.

Klaus was standing on the entrance of the donut shop, looking exactly like he had in her timeline, nothing at all changed. However, what she couldn't believe was Ben who was standing behind him, looking at her with the same amount of shock and surprise as Klaus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, small chapter I know but trust me it's worth it for what's to come next chapter. I'm still kinda settling the story, but hey, at least I answered one of the questions you guys had but also gave you a hundred more questions at the same time! Also, what's up with Ben's reaction? hmm. 
> 
> So thank's to everyone for liking this story, commenting, and reading, it really makes my day! So please keep the comments coming!
> 
> Oh, before I go, if anyone curious, Vanya's car is an Audi r8.


	3. Back to life

_October 10th, 2002_

There were no words to describe what he was feeling, but if he was forced to describe it he would have to say it felt a lot like being pushed through a long tube. As you're pushed through, your body is compressed the further down you go, until suddenly that feeling is completely gone, and you can feel everything around you.

Ben Hargreeves, has been dead for seventeen years, and yes, that sucked. After dying in a mission gone weary when he was fourteen, he thought then that had been the end of the road for him, as it usually was. Of course, being the brother of someone who can bring back the dead as ghosts, that wasn't the case for him. When Klaus brought him back he wasn't sure about staying in the physical world longer than he needed to, it was unnatural to remain after all. But when he saw how much his brother needed him, mixed in with the fact that he didn't want to go, he stayed for seventeen years. It was only recently that he came to the realization that the end was near, feeling himself drift away more and more every day. And no matter how much Klaus or he tried to stop it he knew it was inevitable, he had to leave the world behind. At least that's what he thought, until now.

Eyes snapping open, Ben lurched forward and took in a gulp full of air.

Inside his rib cage, his heart hammered at an impressive speed. His chest rose up and down just as quickly, matching the speed of his heart. Eyes wide, he stared blankly at the wall in front of him, his mind struggling to catch up with what just happened. However, try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to concentrate.

Brain pounding inside his skull, he was overwhelmed with everything around him. From his heartbeat to the sill air around him, he could feel it all. A stark contrast to a couple of seconds ago when he couldn't feel a thing.

Calming his breathing somewhat, he raised his shaky hands up to his face, staring at them in disbelief as realization hit him.

He was alive, not merely brought back as a ghost, or some poltergeist, but actually truly alive.

Taking in a shaky breath, Ben's lip quirked up into a wide toothy smile, the corners of his eyes wrinkling from the genuine joy he was feeling.

"Oh, what the fuck!?" A familiar voice groaned, startling him.

Whipping his head up, Ben took in a sharp breath when everything started to spin around him, his body's warning to take things slowly.

When his eyes regained their focus, and everything stopped spinning he looked at the set of green eyes trained on him.

Frowning, it took Ben a couple of seconds to realize who the green eyes belonged to, both because he was very much still in shock, but also because the person to whom the eyes belonged to looked entirely different.

Klaus was sitting up on his bed, looking down at him who was resting his back on the footboard of said bed. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except of course the tidy, short hair Klaus had, the baby fat around his cheek, and face that overall still had a lot of growing up to do, not to mention the lack of his usual beard.

The Klaus that was looking at him wasn't the Klaus he knew, at least not the Klaus he's been accompanying for seventeen years. No, this was a much younger version of Klaus.

When Klaus kept gaping at him, looking at him with the same amount of shock as him. Ben knew he probably looked just as young.

The room was deathly silent as brown shocked eyes kept staring at equally shocked green ones until finally the silence was broken.

"Fuck!" They both said in unison.

Klaus jumped off the bed, and Ben jerked to his feet, wobbling a bit. Again, his body kept telling him to take things slow, seeing as he wasn't used to the feeling of having legs again, much less supporting himself with them. However, he quickly adjusted and turned on the spot.

With one glance at his surroundings, he instantly knew where he was, but that didn't mean it made any more sense.

The room was small, and with everything that was cluttered inside it, it made him feel slightly claustrophobic. The walls, half wood panel half faint mustard yellow. On said walls, there were countless small posters, with writings and drawings accompanying them.

This was Klaus's room back at the academy, and despite how cluttered it was, it was still much cleaner and tidier than he's seen it in a long time.

"Ben?" Klaus said his name softly, tentatively.

Turning on the spot, Ben faced his brother who still didn't seem to believe what he was seeing.

"Is that actually you?" Klaus frowned and gestured at him from head to toe. "I mean, the _actual_ you?"

Ben opened his mouth but then frowned when no words came out of him. It seems that after seventeen years of not using his vocal cords, he had forgotten how to speak so he nodded instead.

Klaus's reaction was instantaneous as his mouth fell open and he cocked his head, rooted on the spot. Ben, however, found himself smiling from ear to ear and throwing his arms around Klaus, pulling him into a tight hug, closing his eyes tightly. At that moment he didn't care that Klaus smelled faintly of weed, and tobacco, not when he hasn't hugged anyone in a long time.

"There, there," Klaus sighed, patting his back. "I know, I'm too much of a temptation, it's not your fault."

Eyes opening, Ben pushed himself off of Klaus and smiled broadly at him, making his cheek hurt but he didn't care. He still couldn't believe it.

"Sorry," he managed to apologize, his voice coming out rough and dry.

"No, no, you haven't touched anything in like seventeen years, I would be in the same boat, Benny."

Ben nodded and opened his mouth to speak when his eyes caught on a bright, red blanket on top of Klaus' bed.

As a ghost, everything around him seemed so bland, like looking through water or like looking at an old black and white film. No life, no colour, nothing. However, now, everything just seemed so bright, like Klaus' red blanket that was practically calling at him.

Lunging for the bed, Ben grabbed the blanket with a deathly tight grip. Bringing it to his face, he rubbed the soft blanket against his cheek, his eyes closing, expression of absolute bliss, not at all caring that his blanket smelled like sweat and probably hasn't been washed in a long time.

"You know I probably haven't cleaned that blanket in like forever right?" Klaus asked, sounding a bit amused.

"I don't care," Ben sighed with a smile, still rubbing the blanket against his face. It was so soft, everything was so soft.

Klaus simply rolled his eyes and turned his back on him.

Ben, with the blanket still in his hand, grabbed one of the small pillows with a unicorn on it and pressed it against his face. Just like the blanket, the pillow smelled just as bad, but again, he didn't care. Even bad smells were welcome, better than none at all.

"What the hell?!"

Snapped out of his trance, Ben finally opened his eyes and turned on the spot. However, when he noticed what Klaus was looking at he averted his gaze, shutting his eyes tightly closed and scrunched up his face in disgust.

Klaus was looking down at his body, stretching the waistband of his pants to look down at himself. What he saw clearly shocked him as his expression was of absolute horror.

"What the hell Klaus?!" Ben huffed, shaking his head and focused on the writing on the wall.

"Yea, same here," Klaus agreed, thinking Ben was agreeing with whatever it is he saw.

Rolling his eyes, Ben clarified.

"No, I mean can you please not do that when I'm in the room?"

"What? It's not like I took my pants off or anything, jeesh," Klaus drawled.

Turning on the spot, knowing that Klaus wasn't looking at himself anymore, Ben cocked his head, wondering what the hell Klaus found so shocking when he… well, when he looked at himself. Before he could ask, Klaus answered.

"Dude, we're thirteen again," Klaus's voice cracked a little at the end, proving his point further.

Ben frowned.

"How can you be so sure?"

Klaus did look like how he did when he was thirteen, but for all, they knew they could be twelve or fourteen, why thirteen specifically?

"Oh no, trust me I know," Klaus smirked, dramatically waving his hands at himself. "In my innocent, wonderful youth I spent enough time exploring this hot-"

Ben waved his hands widely before he could finish his sentence.

"I don't need to know!"

Klaus simply shrugged, as if to tell him suit-yourself.

Taking in a deep breath, Ben closed his eyes and counted to five before re-opening them. He's only been alive for less than five minutes and he already wanted to hit Klaus upside the head.

"But seriously," Klaus said, flopping back on his bed and cocking his head. "How can you be, you?"

Ben opened his mouth but then closed it again when he realized he didn't have an answer. He, much like Klaus, was bewildered by the whole, brought back to life, situation. So he searched memories for an answer.

Even though the others couldn't see him, he had been there when Five had used the device on them, claiming that it would send their conscience back in time. At the time, he had been scared and skeptical of the device, unsure what it would do to him. Would it break his connection with Klaus and therefore his connection to the physical world? Or would he accompany Klaus back in time as a ghost? Apparently it had been neither of those possibilities, and it just made no sense.

Ben looked down at his hands once more, as if trying to find his answer in them, but all he saw were a set of very small hands.

He was dead, sure the Ben of this time is still very much alive, which made him wonder if he was somehow possessing him. However, he quickly discarded that possibility. He had never possed anyone but knew it probably didn't feel this normal, this alive. Which meant that he was truly alive, truly him in the body of his younger self.

Looking up from his hands, he shook his head.

"I really don't know, I guess the device Five used somehow affected me too."

For Klaus, who wasn't big on pondering on things, more into living in the moment and going with the flow, shrugged. However, for Ben, that wasn't a good enough explanation. Unfortunately, though, he really had no idea how he's alive, didn't even know where to begin, where to start searching for an answer. Out of all their siblings, he liked to think he's one of the smartest. Of course, Five was always and will always be the scientific, and mathematical genius and therefore the brains of the family. So if someone could figure out how he's alive, it would be him.

Ben opened his mouth to speak when a knock emanated from the door and they both whipped their heads towards the direction of the knock.

"Twenty minutes until your training session, children," mom announced.

Ben and Klaus frowned, and turned to look at each other again, then down at themselves.

In their shock, they hadn't realized that they weren't wearing the usual every day, academy uniform, but the training, green uniform.

Klaus twisted the corner of his lip and gave out an annoyed huff.

"Seriously?" Klaus groaned, clearly not sounding at all happy with the idea of training.

Ben didn't understand Klaus' reaction. He couldn't wait to go train. He would take training until his muscles felt like they were going to rip in half to being dead.

"Well, we're kids again. Which means training, missions, and classes," Ben shrugged.

The expression of utter bewilderment and disbelief on Klaus was so overly exaggerated that Ben might as well have told him he needed to chop off his own foot or something.

Klaus adamantly shook his head.

"Oh, no, no, no Benny boy, this is where you lose me," Klaus used his thumbs to point at himself. "I'm a grown-up piece of ass, I'm not staying he-"

"And where will you go, Klaus?" Ben gestured at him. "Thirteen, remember? Like it or not dad's our guardian, we can't just leave, and even if we did, we wouldn't make it very far."

Ben's lips thinned.

He understood Klaus's apprehension. Dad did lock him away at a cemetery when he was young, and while he never did that once Klaus was older the memory still stuck with him.

"Do I have to?" Klaus whined softly.

Sighing, Ben answered.

"Remember what Five said, we have to adapt to the time we find ourselves in. If we don't we run the risk of altering the timeline."

For a second Ben worried that wouldn't be enough to convince Klaus, seeing as he didn't seem like he heard a word he said, not at all caring that he could endanger the timeline.

"And besides, the others should be here with us. I'm sure we'll figure something out together," Ben added.

That seemed to do the trick somewhat, as Klaus gave out a deep breath.

"Alright, alright," Klaus waved his hands in defeat.

Standing up from his bed, Klaus made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Ben asked, frowning. There were still fifteen minutes until their training session.

Klaus didn't look at him as he answered.

"I need to go to the bathroom, or will that also alter the timeline?"

In any other person, Ben would have just let said person go, however, this was Klaus.

Eyes narrowing, he stared pointedly at the back of Klaus's head.

"I hope you're not going to the bathroom to get high."

That made Klaus stop, his hand halfway to the doorknob, still not looking at him.

"Lighten up Ben, you sound like mom!" Klaus huffed, his voice cracked making him sound even more childish than he already was.

Ben crossed his arms.

"Klaus," he insisted.

Klaus may not have the supply of drugs and alcohol he had in the future, but Ben was well aware that Klaus was already smoking weed by this age, and probably had some stashed somewhere.

Giving out a long annoyed huff, Klaus turned on the spot to finally face him.

"I'm not, ok, I just need to take a piss I've been holding since the fricking end of the world. Is that a satisfactory answer, _Sir_ Ben?" Klaus asked mockingly.

For a few seconds Ben eyed Klaus, but when he didn't see anything that would suggest that his brother was lying, he sighed and with that Klaus quickly turned on the spot and exited the room, leaving the door open.

'Klaus,' he mumbled to himself, shaking his head.

He was going to have a hard time with him here, surrounded by all the crap that pushed him towards doing drugs in the first place. Well, at least it's a good thing he's not a ghost anymore. At least this time he could tie him up every time he so much as mentioned drugs.

When something moved in his peripheral vision, he raised his head and peered through the open door. When he looked at the person standing there, his eyes widened.

Wearing the same green uniform as him and Klaus, Allison stood in front of her door, busy giving the finishing touches to her hair with her hands. Just like he and Klaus, Allison was thirteen years old.

Eyes glued on her, he stepped out of the room and walked towards her. He couldn't believe this was real.

"Allison?" Asked Ben softly, in disbelief, shocked that he was looking at his sister with his own eyes.

How many times had he looked at her, at all his siblings, wanting to talk to them, to just have them acknowledge him, to just be able to see him? How many times did he want to ask her about her life, about Claire? Well, now that he's alive he could ask her all those questions, and say all those things he always wanted to tell them, sa-

Turning on the spot, Allison cocked her head and frowned.

"Who's Allison?" Asked his sister confused, a smirk on her lips as if thinking he was just being funny.

Ben took in a sharp breath and his eyes widened.

 _Shit_.

Simultaneously, Five's last few words came stumbling back to him.

' _I don't even know if the device will work on all of us, but if it does we may end up scattered around the timeline.'_

Judging with how Allison wasn't at all shocked to see him, how she was in fact confused by his reaction and by her own name, he knew that what Five said had come to pass. This wasn't Allison standing in front of him, at least not the one from the future. Could it be that this was the case for all his siblings? Are he and Klaus the only ones who made the trip? If that's the case then they're absolutely screwed.

Ben opened and closed his mouth unsure as to how to respond.

"I-well, I-"

Allison, or should he say, Three, frowned, looking at him with concern.

"Are you alright Six?"

Ben's brows pulled together in confusion. Six? They don't even have their names yet? So Klaus was right, they're in their thirteen-year-old bodies, a year before mom gave them their names.

Taking a few seconds to re-gather himself, feeling completely weird being addressed by his number rather than his name after so many years, not to mention the entire situation, Ben nodded hastily and smiled reassuringly.

' _No one can know you're from the future or you might end up altering the timeline.'_

"Yea, I'm fine, just a brain fart, sorry," Ben apologized.

It shouldn't hurt him to say that, to repress everything he wanted to say to her, to them, but it did. To just brush away the fact that he's been dead for seventeen years, and just act like nothing's happened. At the same time, another side of him didn't care. He was alive, his sister was standing in front of him, able to finally see him and that's all that mattered.

Allison made an, ah, expression and nodded, not questioning him, until her brows knit together as if to say wait-a-minute. For a few seconds, Allison looked at him with the same expression, until she smiled widely and gave him a knowing look.

"So who's Allison?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. "One of those girls you guys fantasize over from one of your magazines?"

Ben didn't know what she was going to say, but it was definitely not that. Despite being a thirty-year-old man, well, a thirty-year-old ghost that somehow came back to life in the body of his thirteen-year-old self, Ben blushed. When he felt the old, familiar feel of his cheeks getting hot, he was a little excited that he was blushing, but that soon was overtaken by embarrassment.

"What? No, I-"

"Yea s-s-sure," A familiar voice interrupted him, a voice that like the rest, sounded younger than he remembered. "Are you really s-s-suggesting Six, the s-s-Six even has one of those ma-ma-magazines in his possession, m-mu-much less read it? As if!"

Before Ben could turn to look at him, an arm was draped over his shoulder. He didn't even need to see him to know who it was. Still, that didn't keep his eyes from widening slightly when he looked at Diego, albeit a younger version of him. Another of his siblings he wanted to talk to so many times, but who apparently had no idea who he was, at least not his version of Ben.

"I'm pr-pr-pretty sure Six would s-s-self combust on the spot if he so mu-mu-much as peeked inside one," Diego chuckled.

Ben was too distracted, too shocked to say anything, he just kept looking at his brother, mouth slightly open.

Diego smiled confidently, leaning on Ben and Allison rolled her eyes, opening her mouth but before she could say anything someone else beat her to it.

"You talk big for a fucking virgin."

Ben froze on the spot when he recognized the voice. Unlike the others, this voice sounded a lot like one he recently heard from the future.

Smile falling, Diego quickly took his arm off his shoulder and turned to grab Five. However, before Diego could grab a handful of his sweater, Five smirked cockily and spatial jumped from his reach.

For a brief second, Ben was relieved that Five was also here with them until he saw the innocent look in his eyes when he smirked with mirth rather than cynical exasperation.

Ben's hopes instantly drained out of him.

Five, much like the others, was young, but unlike the future version of him, this was the real young Five, not the one stuck inside his thirteen-year-old body.

Re-appearing behind Allison, Five cocked a brow and smiled smugly, as if to mock Diego for being too slow.

"Yea like yo-yo-you're not!" Diego shouted, frustrated that he hadn't caught Five.

"At least I don't pretend I'm not, asshole!" Five shot back, quickly turning on the spot when Diego pushed past Ben and Allison.

"Come and s-s-say that to my fa-fa-face!" Diego shouted, running after Five who simply smirked and ran towards the staircase leading to the attic, disappearing behind the wall, Diego hot on his heels.

The edges of his lips quirked into a fond smile. He had forgotten this version of Five, the mischievous, carefree, rebellious one of the family, snarky and still very much a pain to live with at times. The older Five would have simply scoffed at their antics and walked away, not joining in like this Five was doing. He wondered how things would have changed if Five had never left if he would have had the opportunity to grow up alongside them?

' _Do not interfere with the timeline,'_ that's what Five had said, but damn it, there had to be exceptions. Like his own death and stopping Five from making the worst decision in his life.

"Should we tell D-Two that it's futile to chase after Five?" He asked, catching his mistake early.

There was a soft electrical pop, followed by a flash of blue as Five spatial jumped back to the hallway, a smug cocky smile on his lips as he crossed his arms and waited. When they heard Diego's loud footsteps stop, clearly having reached the top of the stairs, he growled when he realized Five was no longer in the attic.

"F-fucking s-st-stay in one s-s-spot!" Diego shouted, running back down the stairs.

Clearly amused with the chase, Five waited until Diego reached the bottom of the stairs before he ran the opposite way and disappeared behind a wall, Diego hot on his heels, chasing after Five who they could hear laughing mockingly at Diego.

"Nah, let him tire himself out, he's more tolerable that way," Allison smiled.

Ben nodded in agreement, smiling fondly. Despite being completely screwed, he missed this.

"Oh, great you guys are ready," yet another familiar voice said behind them.

Allison and Ben turned to face Luther, who was wearing his training uniform, and who Ben was surprised with how tall he already was at such a young age.

Eyes roaming the hallway, as if looking for someone but not finding who he was looking for, Luther rested his eyes on them and cocked his head.

"Where are the others?"

"Four's in the bathroom," Ben answered, hoping he wasn't actually in there getting high.

Allison pointed behind her, and as if on cue a loud growl came from Diego off in the distance, followed by Five's mocking laugh.

Not needing any further explanation, Luther took a deep breath.

"What did Five say this time?" He huffed.

"The usual, that Two is a virgin and an asshole, you know. So now Diego's trying to catch him." Allison shrugged as if this was totally normal, and if his memory served him right, it indeed was.

Luther didn't seem at all surprised, not needing any further explanation as he sighed and shook his head.

"Well he better tire out fast because we gotta be at the training hall in ten minutes, we can't be late for this training session like last time."

Allison nodded in agreement, her smile falling. Whatever punishment their father gave them last time, mustn't have been very pleasant.

When the hallway fell deathly silent as they could no longer hear Five laughter and Diego's loud footsteps, Ben realized there was something missing, one last member, of the family.

Turning his head towards Vanya's room, he frowned, confused by how quiet it was. If his memories served him right, by this time Vanya should be busy playing her violin, keeping herself busy while they trained. In all his childhood he'd never known her for skipping a practice session, yet her room was quiet and that worried him.

Like the others, he had been shocked, to say the least when he learned Vanya has powers. Being the meek, quiet sister who was excluded from the family for being ordinary, no one had seen her being the one to destroy the world coming. But in hindsight, it made sense. All the resentment, all the loneliness and childhood trauma their father put her through, which they aggravated more, was bound to explode at some point. It was unfortunate that it did when Vanya had her powers and no control over them. Well, maybe that's something he could also change.

"Where's Seven?" He asked, turning to face them again.

Both Allison and Luther frowned, confused.

"What do you mean where's Seven?" Asked Luther, clearly not understanding his question.

"Well, shouldn't she be practicing the violin?" He asked.

Allison and Luther's frown deepened, looking at him as if he'd gone insane.

"What violin?" Asked Luther.

"Are you sure you're fine Six?" Asked Allison.

Ben's brows furrowed, getting a bad feeling about this. Before he could ask, however, the door to the bathroom opened and through it came Klaus.

Both Allison and Luther turned to face the bathroom to look at Klaus, who was grinning as he lazily made his way towards them.

"Oh hey L-" Before Klaus could finish his sentence, Ben's eyes widened and he gestured at him to be quiet behind Luther's and Allison's back.

Thankfully getting the message that something was off, Klaus's brows furrowed slightly and he switched what he was about to say.

"So, shouldn't we all be at the training hall or something? Or are yall just waiting for me?" He asked with a grin, and Ben let out a silent sigh.

Allison rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. Luther just ignored him.

"Come on, Five and Three might already be there, as well as Seven," Luther said to him specifically, answering his previous question.

Ben frowned.

Wait, Vanya was already there? What? Before he could think further on the matter, Luther walked away, with Allison in tow. For a few seconds, Ben just stared at them, completely confused as to what was going on. So Vanya doesn't play the violin? And she gets to train with them? That's not right. Did someone change the timeline? Did they? Did their presence somehow change something? That can't be right.

Now standing beside him, Klaus gazed at him with equal confusion.

"Ben, what's go-"

"Are you guys coming or what?" Luther asked.

Looking at each other, then back at Luther they both followed Luther to the training hall, keeping a little distance so they could talk to each other in hushed voices.

"Ben?" Asked Klaus, leaning down so the others couldn't hear them.

Looking up at Klaus, he was surprised by how much taller he was than him at this age. Klaus had, after all, gone through his growth spurt before him.

"Remember when Five said we might not all make it?"

"Yea...kinda," Klaus frowned.

"Well, it seems you and I are the only ones who made it."

"Seriously?" Klaus asked, shocked but also a little amused.

Ben nodded.

"Yup."

For a few seconds, Klaus just shook his head and chuckled.

"The future's fucking screwed then."

Ben didn't argue with that.

When they made it to the training hall, the space looked exactly how he remembered it. The floor covered in training mats, various dummies by the walls as well as punching bags, most of them half-destroyed thanks to Luther.

Just as Luther had said, Five and Diego were already present, no doubt having been caught by Pogo seeing as they were both busy doing push-ups off to the side. Diego glaring at Five. However, as Ben looked around the room, his eyes landed on something he hadn't expected, something that made his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

Off to the side, in one corner of the training hall, all alone, sat Vanya. Her legs were crossed, hands on top of her knees, and eyes closed, her posture one of tranquillity as her chest rhythmically rose up and down. But that wasn't what was so strange that Ben's mouth hung open. No, it was the fact that Vanya was floating a few feet off the ground, water floating in front of her, twisting and shaping into intricate patterns.

' _What the hell,'_ both he and Klaus mouthed.

So Vanya can use her power? How is that even possible? Did they get transported back in time or to a different reality? Well, it would definitely make sense if they did. Otherwise, how come Vanya knows how to use her powers? Unless…

Leaving Klaus behind, Ben walked towards Vanya, his eyes glued on her, on the water she was moving with her powers. As he walked he vaguely heard Klaus following close behind.

Once they were in front of her, Vanya didn't notice their presence as she continued to focus on what she was doing. Ben used the opportunity to look her over.

She was wearing the green uniform they were all wearing. And although that was shocking, seeing as she had never worn that uniform in the past because she didn't train like them, he was more shocked by the exhaustion in her face. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was too unnaturally pale and almost sickly.

"Vanya?" Asked Ben softly.

Instantly, the intricate pattern of water floating in the air froze on the spot, still hovering in the air rather than splashing back onto the ground. Slowly opening her eyes, Vanya looked up at them. At first, she seemed confused, almost wondering if they had spoken to her. However, when she did realize that they had she cocked her head and frowned.

"Who's Van-"

Before she could finish, a sharp, angry voice interrupted her, a voice that had both Ben and Klaus freezing.

"Number Four, Number Six, what do you think you're doing?!" Their father barked.

Vanya, or as she was known as at this time, Seven, eyes widened and her jaw clenched, her shoulders tensing as she looked at their father.

Turning on the spot, both Klaus and Ben faced their father who was now standing in the middle of the training hall, his journal tucked under his arm. His brows were furrowed, looking from one to the other with clear anger in his eyes.

"-er- we were just talking to number Seven," Ben answered, seeing as Klaus seemed far too shocked to say anything.

Their father cocked a brow, and lifted his chin.

"Talking to Number Seven?" He asked.

Both he and Klaus nodded, wondering what could be so wrong about talking to her. Because clearly there was something wrong with it, seeing as all their siblings had stopped what they were doing and turned to look at them with wide eyes.

"Ye-"

Before Ben could answer, their father interrupted him

"You know the rules number Six, Number Four!" He barked. "No distracting number Seven. Now get back to your spot!"

Both he and Klaus nearly ran to stand with their siblings, taking their spot amongst them. All the while they kept starring at their father, completely shocked and confused.

What the hell was that?

Ben thought their father would leave it at that, seeing as he turned his back on them, giving out a short huff. However, that wasn't the end of it as he turned to face Vanya, and while they couldn't see him they knew his ire was now directed at her.

"Number seven!" he hissed, his voice particularly cold, much colder than he had ever heard before.

Ben's hair at the back of his neck stood on end, and he tensed just like the others as they stared at Vanya.

"Yes sir?" Vanya asked softly, her voice slightly shaky.

Their father put his arms behind his back and straightened his posture to his full height, looming over her.

"Due to your incompetence in staying focused on your training, you will skip dinner and remain in the training hall for another three hours!"

Both Klaus and Ben balked. What the hell, that hadn't been Vanya's fault.

Klaus opened his mouth to argue when they heard a soft electric pop beside them. Before they could both turn, Five elbowed Klaus on the stomach with enough force to send him to his knees.

"Number Five?" Asked their father, turning on the spot to face them again, a brow raised.

"Sorry sir, I was just showing number Four the new technique I learned."

Klaus gave out a soft whine, trying to catch his breath but unable to.

Their father eyed him but then huffed.

"Go back to your spot number Five, and make sure to stay there until I expressively tell you to leave it."

Five nodded with a smile. But before he left, just after their father turned his back on them, Five's smile fell and gave him and Klaus a murderous glare.

With eyes wide, Ben wondered what the hell kind of reality he and Klaus managed to land themselves in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so Ben's alive! I finally answered one of the questions you guys had. of course, I just gave you a few others at the same time!
> 
> So anyway, before I spoil anything, I just want to say I'm happy everyone's liking this story and for all your support, I really appreciate it! 
> 
> Thank you!


	4. A long awaited reunion.

Vanya could not believe her eyes. Standing by the door of the donut shop were Ben and Klaus, gaping, looking at her in shock. Even the few people around the donut shop stirred a little when they heard Ben and Klaus call her name, but they didn't otherwise look up from their newspapers as they grumbled something about kids.

Her eyes on Ben, she could not believe he was standing there in front of her. Sure she knew he was alive, but seeing it in a picture was very different from seeing him in real life.

He looked so much older. His hair was short and pushed back naturally, and just like in his picture, she could see he still had the same kind, soft eyes he had as a child. For clothes, he wore an untucked white buttoned-up shirt, dark jeans and white sneakers. Klaus however, always the fashionista was wearing his usual furry coat and leather tight pants. His hair short and messy, with his usual beard. Unlike Ben, who aged and changed completely, Klaus looked exactly the same.

"Vanya?" Ben asked tentatively, taking a step forward, his voice, though much deeper, still sounded exactly like she remembered it.

That was the breaking point for her.

Running towards him at full speed, she leaped at him and nearly tackled him to the ground if he hadn't shifted his weight. Arms wrapping around his neck, she closed her eyes tightly and clenched him closer.

Ben is alive, and though she wasn't entirely sure if this was this reality's Ben or not, she didn't care. Her brother is alive.

"Woooow," she heard Klaus drawl. "So Ben gets a hug and I barely get a sideways glance, I see how it is."

Vanya couldn't help but smile fondly at Klaus.

Not letting go of Ben, she raised an arm and waved Klaus forward. Klaus pouted for a few seconds as if he was still mad at her but then he gave in. Smiling broadly, he walked towards them and leaned into the hug, wrapping his arms around them and placing his cheek on top of her head.

"Hey, Vany."

"Hey," her voice came out muffled.

For a few seconds they just stood there, hugging, and though she knew they must look so weird, a couple of adults hugging in the middle of a donut shop, she didn't care as much. Not when she felt the tension on her shoulders lessened.

A few seconds later, however, she did separate herself from them, knowing that they must be attracting too much attention. However, she still held on to Ben's hand as she smiled at him, still shocked.

"Ben is this really-" she couldn't finish her sentence, worried he might not be the Ben she knew. Of course, his reaction told her he was, but she was still skeptical. It's been a long morning.

Ben gave her a soft smile and nodded.

"Yea, it's me. And I can't believe we finally get to talk to one another after…" Ben looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds as if making a mental count before pulling his eyes back to her. "After thirty-four years."

That made Vanya's brows shoot up.

"Thirty-four years? What do you mean thirty-four years?"

Ben formed his lips into a tight line.

"I guess we should take a seat, this is going to be a bit of a long story."

Nodding in agreement, the three of them walked to the stools and she sat on the same spot as before, her coffee cold at this point.

As Ben and Klaus sat on either side of her, Ben called the waitress over and ordered a coffee for both of them. Unlike she had done with her, the waitress simply gave them a friendly smile, not once making the shocked expression she had made with her.

Vanya finished her donut, waiting for them to get comfortable before asking any questions.

Once the waitress brought their coffee, Ben paid her and this time the waitress did accept the money. Ben then proceeded to add a little more sugar to his coffee, while Klaus grabbed the mug from the counter and pulled it towards himself, hiding it from watchful eyes as he grabbed a flask from his pocket and poured some of its contents inside the mug.

"Seriously Klaus?" Asked Ben, shaking his head in disbelief when he noticed what Klaus was doing.

"What? It's five o'clock somewhere and besides," Klaus took a large gulp of his drink and sighed in delight. "I think I'll need it for this conversation and Vanya too, right sis?"

Klaus twisted the flask in his hand, offering it to her, and as tempting as it was she shook her head and opened her mouth to say no thanks when Ben beat her to it.

"She can't you idiot, don't you remember the conversation we had in the car? Five said…"

Suddenly Ben fell silent, shutting his lips tightly closed as Vanya cocked her head. What did Five do?

"Five said what?" She asked, frowning.

Ben let out a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little awkward.

"Well, on our way here Five called. He sounded pretty concerned." Ben took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat. "Said that you might be pregnant?" He asked unsurely.

Vanya blushed, even though she knew she shouldn't be. Pregnancy is a normal part of life, a normal thing that happens between two people that have decided to commit themselves to one another. Of course, there was the tiny fact that her version of Vanya has never actually slept with Five, and was embarrassed that her brothers also know she's slept with him, at least the other version of Vanya anyways.

' _It's a different Vanya,'_ she told herself, taking a deep breath.

"Well?" Asked Klaus, leaning on the counter, his lips twisted into a smile.

"What?" She asked, not liking Klaus's tone.

"What do you mean what? Are you and Five expecting a little twerp? A little Number Twelve?" He asked with a smirk.

Vanya blushed and scrunched up her face. What kind of name was that?

"Oh god," she groaned, wishing she had said yes to the shot of whatever Klaus had offered. "If I had a child with Five, I would definitely not call it number twelve."

"Sooooo you're not pregnant then?" Asked Ben, leaning forward.

Vanya looked at the ceiling for a few seconds, counting to five, when she realized she was counting to the very number that was the name of the very man she didn't want to be thinking about.

Groaning, she looked down at her mug.

"No! I was just shocked about waking up in some unknown bed, with a half-naked Five! An-"

She snapped her lips closed and blushed furiously when she realized she gave them a little too much detail. And as expected, Klaus wasn't going to let that go.

"Oooo, half-naked?" Klaus purred, resting his chin on his hand. "Do kiss and tell, and don't you dare skip any deta-"

"Shut up Klaus," Ben huffed, blushing slightly, clearly not wanting to hear what she and Five got up to behind closed door, something that she herself had also wondered a few times.

Well, clearly they hadn't just cuddled and slept in each other's arms all night, not when she had woken up completely naked, feeling satisfied with a slight ache between her...

Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of her train of thought before her brain went straight to the gutter.

"Look, I'm not pregnant, I'm just really confused about what the hell's going on alright," she sighed, grabbing the mug between her hands as if it was a lifeline.

Klaus huffed, clearly annoyed that she wasn't going to give him any detail about a certain naked someone, however, Ben nodded, and took a deep breath.

"Oh, well, Five's not going to be happy about that."

That had her reeling as she turned to face Ben and cocked her head.

"Why?"

From how shocked Five sounded when he asked her if she was pregnant, she would think that he would be glad to hear that she wasn't.

"Well, he sounded shocked but he also sounded a little excited," Ben shrugged. "I guess he liked the idea of you guys being pregnant."

Eyebrows shooting up, she gaped a little.

Five was excited about having a baby? Five, _The_ Five, cynical, cocky, smug, not great with kids Five, wanted a baby? How? Why? She always thought that he, out of all their siblings, would never want to have a child seeing as he always abhorred them, even when he himself was a kid. Every time they went anywhere as kids, Five would grimace and grind his teeth every time a baby started crying, while Klaus and Allison gushed over the baby, making faces at it while its mom wasn't looking. So to hear that Five wanted a baby made no sense to her.

' _Unless of course, it's different when it's your baby,_ ' a small voice inside her head said, and Vanya frowned.

"Why do people say that?" Klaus asked, snapping her out of her train of thoughts.

"What?" Asked Ben, taking a sip of his coffee.

"That a couple is pregnant? I mean, it's not Five who's gonna have to carry the damn kid for twelve months is he?" Klaus waved his hand.

Ben rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Vanya didn't understand how they were still on this topic.

"It's just an expression Klaus, the mom may be the one carrying the baby but the dad is still very much involved. And it's not twelve months you idiot, it's nine, well technically-."

Klaus waved his hand, interrupting Ben.

"I know, I know. Still, a bit presumptuous on the father's side isn't it? I mean it kinda fits Five because he's the king of presumptuous but-"

"Can we please get back on topic, and stop talking about babies and pregnancies?"

For a few seconds, Klaus regarded her as if he wanted to refuse and ask her more about Five but then he shrugged.

"I doubt there's another topic more interesting than a half-naked Five, and the wild sex you guys must be having, but…"

Vanya blushed furiously and took a deep breath before she snapped. Before Klaus arrived, she felt really bad about what she had done to him in the future, how she had held him suspended and sucked the life out of him. However, now she wished that she had.

"Oh my god, I forgot how easy it is to tease this version of you, Vanya!" Klaus grinned, and Vanya glowered at him, which thankfully he took the hint that she was at her last straw. "Alright, alright, we can talk about something else, but after you owe me a few details."

Keeping herself level headed, Vanya decided to just let it go and switched topics before Klaus changed his mind and insisted on talking about Five.

"So when did you guys arrive?" She asked.

This time it was Ben who answered, finally looking up from his coffee seeing as the topic was changed.

"Two thousand and two."

"What?!" She asked sharply, utterly bewildered.

Ben and Klaus have been in this reality for seventeen years? How is that possible? How did they even manage to survive this long? She's only been here for an entire morning and she felt like she was going to lose it. Not to mention that if they've been here since two-thousand and two, that meant that they must have lived through their teenagehood, again. She could only imagine what torture that must have been. Forced to live at the academy again, forced to do what dad said.

"Yea, and let me tell you, I never understood why Five was being so bitchy about going through puberty again, but now I totally get it," Klaus huffed, taking a long sip of his coffee, no doubt trying to drown out the memory.

Switching the conversation a little, seeing as asking about their time as teenagers again probably wasn't a good idea, Vanya looked at Ben.

"So how are you back Ben? As the future you, when you were…"

"Dead?" Ben finished for her, not at all shocked by the question.

She nodded.

"I know, it makes no sense to me either. I guess the device Five used somehow affected me too, or it somehow affected Klaus's power and in turn, it affected me, I don't know. But what matters is that I'm here."

Vanya didn't argue with that. She had very little hopes of finding out how Ben is in this reality, so she conformed with the simple answer. What mattered is that he's alive. Not to mention that now it was confirmed that Five did indeed sent them back, but to where? She still wasn't sure.

"And let me tell you, it's nice to finally have someone to talk to other than Klaus about the future…" Ben tilted his head a little. "Well, about the other reality."

Cocking her head, Vanya's brows furrowed.

"So we're the only ones here?" She asked confused, feeling a pang of sorrow hit her. She had hoped that more of their siblings would be here with them, trying to make sense of this crazy world. But it seems that was only wishful thinking. That also meant that she'll never get to apologize to Allison for what she did.

Vanya took a deep breath to calm herself down. Seeming to notice her reaction, Ben gave her a reassuring smile.

"Not that we know of, but then again Klaus and I thought we were alone for seventeen years until now, so I guess there's still hope for the others."

Spirit lifting somewhat, Vanya straightened herself up and faced Ben completely.

"You mean you haven't searched for the others?"

"How could we?" It was Klaus who asked and Vanya turned on the stool to face him. "Five said no one could know we're from the future, and besides, the other would think we've gone insane if we asked."

Vanya frowned.

"So when did you arrive, Vanya? Not too long ago I take it?" Ben asked.

Vanya turned to face Ben, wishing they had sat on a booth instead so she didn't have to get dizzy looking from one to the other.

"This morning, I woke up-"

"To a very naked Five apparently," Klaus chuckled into his mug, and Vanya had to take another deep breath.

"Seriously Klaus, quit it," Ben reprimanded.

"What?" Klaus smirked, acting all innocent.

Ben huffed and leaned forward to scowl at him.

"Vanya's just gone through a very tough morning, waking up to a very different life, so please just lay off the comments alright?"

Klaus hummed as if thinking it over and then opened his mouth to answer when Vanya's phone, still on the counter, began to vibrate, nearly causing her to jump off the stool, especially after she saw the caller ID.

**Five**

Looking at her phone as if it were a disease or a very large insect, her heart began to beat faster, and her hands began to sweat. She couldn't talk to him, couldn't face him, what on earth was she supposed to tell him? What if he asked questions only the Vanya of his reality knew? What the hell was she supposed to do?

As if noticing her mental battle, Klaus nonchalantly grabbed the phone and clicked on it, pressing it to his ear before she could stop him.

"Yello!" He sang confidently as if the phone were his and the call for him.

Being so close to Klaus, and with her hearing much better than it's ever been, she was easily able to make out the conversation.

" _Klaus?"_ Five asked, clearly shocked and confused to hear his voice rather than hers, no doubt wondering how he managed to acquire her phone.

"Oh hello there little brother, how's it hanging? Long time no talk!" Klaus grinned, propping his elbow on the counter.

' _We were born on the same day at the same time you idiot,'_ Five pointed out exasperated. ' _How do you even have Vanya's phone?'_

"Nope, pretty sure I'm a few minutes older," Klaus sang, ignoring his question.

She heard Five sigh, clearly done with the conversation. Patience was never one of his strengths.

' _Put my fiancé on the phone Klaus'_ she heard a clearly angry Five say over the line, and Vanya froze when she heard the word fiancé.

Klaus who wasn't at all fazed by his anger simply shrugged, and extended the phone to her. Vanya's mouth opened and closed, her eyes wide as she looked at the phone in horror. However, instead of just handing her the phone he continued to speak.

"Oh yea sure, wait-" Klaus made some hissing, swoosh sounds as if he were in a tunnel. "I think I'm losing-"

Vanya couldn't help but deflate and quirk her lips up at Klaus antics.

Five took in a sharp breath.

' _Klaus, I swear if you hang up the-'_

Just like that, Klaus hung up the phone and tossed it to Vanya, which she somehow managed to catch between her hands.

"You owe me," Klaus pointed at her, taking a sip of his coffee. "Do you have any idea the kind of wrath I've brought down on myself?"

Vanya smiled and wanted to thank him when Klaus continued.

"But then again, what are brothers for? When you're not banging them, at least in your case."

Of course, Klaus wasn't just going to lose the opportunity to say that.

Takin in, yet another, deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak when they heard the doors to the donut shop bang open and the three of them turned on the spot.

Eyes widening, they all looked, shocked, at a very confused and equally shocked Allison.

"Yay! Another one!" Klaus sang, clapping his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another one of the siblings arrives! And again, I'm gonna keep my lips sealed before I mess up and spoil anything!
> 
> So as always, thanks to everyone for commenting, and overall just liking this story! I really appreciated it!


	5. Sisters

For a long while, Vanya dumbfoundedly stared at her sister, half wondering if Allison was really there or if she was imagining her. However, when she heard Klaus cry out his surprise she was finally convinced that she was.

Allison blinked a couple of times, mimicking her own shocked expression. It was only a few seconds later that they both snapped out of their shock when Vanya leaped out of her stool and Allison practically ran towards her. Much like she had done with Ben, she pulled Allison into a tight hug, eyes closing tightly as she tried to convey all her regrets, and pain in one simple action. Hugging just as tightly in return, Allison seemed to deflate slightly as she pressed her nose against the top of her head.

Ever since she woke up in this strange world and even before that, she could see it in repeat in her head. Both of them standing in Leonard's cabin, Allison's revelation, her losing control, Allison attempting to use her powers, her cutting her throat with one clean slash of her violin bow, her instantly regretting what she did, wanting to apologize but never getting the opportunity. Until now.

Separating themselves, but keeping their hands connected, they both stared at each other with wide glistening eyes.

"I'm so sorry," they both said in unison.

Allison smirked, and Vanya did the same. She wanted to tell her sister that there was nothing to apologize for, that it was all her fault, but when Allison pulled her back into a hug she humph and simply sank into it.

Like before, Klaus smiled and wrapped his arms around them, butting into the hug once more.

"Aw that's so cute," he hummed, stroking Allison's hair. "Also, can I raid your closet again? I'm running out of things to wear," Klaus mumbled and Allison snorted.

With that they separated, by that point, Vanya noticed that a few of the people in the shop were glaring at them. Angrier that they were interfering with their peace and quiet than anything else.

"Please tell me you're all…" Allison stopped as she looked at them all in the eyes.

"From the other reality?" Asked Ben, and Allison nodded. "Yea."

With that revelation, Vanya watched as Allison took in a deep breath, and her eyes widened. Before anyone even realized it, Allison pulled Ben into a tight hug.

"All the time I've been here, all those times I talked to you, I never once thought it was actually you," she mumbled, her voice trembling a little at the end.

Vanya couldn't help but smile fondly as Ben hugged Allison with a vice-like grip. It was nice to see that, although she seemed to be the only one who's only just arrived, she wasn't the only one out of the loop.

"We should probably take a seat before we get kicked out guys," Vanya suggested when she noticed an older lady looking over her newspaper, glaring at Ben and Allison. By the way, she was looking at them, Vanya just knew she was close to getting up and asking them to leave.

Klaus, who hadn't joined into the hug this time, draped an arm over her shoulder and leaned on her.

"Pfft, as if!" It must have been comical how he towered over her. "No ones got the balls to kick out the great Number Seven!"

Vanya rolled her eyes, thinking that Klaus was just teasing until she noticed a few people around the shop look up from their newspaper at the mention of her old name.

She frowned.

"Keep your voice down Klaus!" Ben admonished, hitting him upside the head.

"Ouch," Klaus grumbled, stroking the back of his head even though Ben had barely even touched him.

Vanya noticed that a few people started to shift in their seats as if trying to get a good look at her but unable to, seeing as Klaus was covering most of her, something she guessed was kind of deliberate but still didn't understand why. Well, she suspected why but she still didn't want to believe it.

Allison cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention.

"Can we sit?"

Completely in agreement, not wanting to be the centre of attention, she followed the others to one of the empty booths this time.

As she lowered herself to sit on the booth, her head suddenly began to spin.

Taking in a sharp surprised breath, she pressed her palm against the table before she fell forward. When the donut and coffee began to rise up inside her, she scrunched up her face in concentration, doing her best not to vomit.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Asked Ben, steadying her by placing his hand on her arm.

For a few seconds, she just remained on the same spot, until she was able to finally settle her stomach back down after taking a deep breath.

With a half-smile, she nodded at Ben. Not thinking much of it, probably just her stomach disagreeing with the donut and the lack of protein she's given it.

"What's wrong?" Asked Allison, taking her seat across from Vanya, who was surrounded on both sides by Ben and Klaus even though there was a perfectly good spot beside Allison. Which only proved to annoy her more, seeing as Ben probably sat beside her to make sure she was fine.

Klaus leaned forward on his seat, a broad amused smile on his lips and Vanya instantly knew where this was going to go.

"Listen to this," Klaus gushed as he pointed at Vanya. "Missy here, only just arrived and she's already getting busy with a certain número Cinco!"

Vanya tensed as her cheeks began to burn, as well as other parts of her face.

Klaus leaned back on the booth.

"And I thought I was the sexual deviant of the family!"

That was the last straw.

"Klaus!" Vanya admonished, glaring at him but Klaus didn't seem to notice, having way too much fun at her expense.

"I mean, who would have thought that little, innocent Vanya would bang and get knocked up by one of her brothers before you, eh?!"

That had done it for Allison, who had seemed a little amused but now looked at Klaus adamantly.

"Hey!"

Klaus simply chuckled while Allison and Vanya glared at him.

Giving out a long sigh, Ben facepalmed and shook his head.

"Honestly if you kill him at this point I wouldn't blame you, I'll even help you hide the body in fact."

Klaus suddenly turned on the booth and leaned forward so he could look and face Ben, puffing out his chest.

"Haha, good luck cause you can't hide shit!" Klaus huffed with faked anger. "You couldn't even hide your porn s-"

With that, the last bit of Ben's patience flew out the window as he too leaned forward on his seat, his face red from embarrassment.

"I was fifteen! And it's not like it was.."

Vanya had to take a deep breath and clench the table as both Ben and Klaus began to squeeze her between them as they argued.

Seeming to notice her discomfort, Allison growled and shook her head.

"I heard a rumour that neither of you said a word for the next ten minutes!"

Instantly both their brothers shut their mouths closed, but continued to face each other as they attempted to speak but couldn't. Vanya would have found it a little amusing at how Klaus scrunched up his face in frustration, but given the situation, she didn't find it as amusing.

Unable to continue arguing, they both slumped back on their seats but continued to glare at each other.

"I wish you'd have used that more often when we were kids," Vanya smiled when Klaus and Ben looked at her like she had betrayed them.

Allison smirked and nodded.

"Yea, but dad was adamant about not using our powers on each other."

' _I heard a rumour, you think you're ordinary."_

Vanya instantly tensed, and she wasn't the only one, Allison too seemed to realize what she just said.

Taking a deep breath, Allison gave her a soft smile.

"So is what Klaus said true?" Allison asked, changing the topic before it got into dangerous territory, and it did the trick as Vanya tensed further but for a different reason.

"About what?"

Allison's brows furrowed.

"Are you pregnant?"

All previous thoughts and memories forgotten, Vanya looked at the ceiling, begging whatever god there was to give her strength. It was bad enough with her brothers, but now her too?

"Not this again!" She shifted her eyes back down. "I'm not pregnant, I'm just dizzy because I haven't eaten a proper meal all day, not to mention being dumped into a completely different reality."

Thankfully Allison accepted her explanation, while Ben and Klaus couldn't do much but frown.

"Yea, that can be very disorienting," Allison agreed, no doubt of experience.

curiosity peaked, Vanya leaned forward.

"So when did you get here?" She asked.

Allison took a deep breath.

"Well…"

* * *

_April 3rd, 2012_

Allison woke up slowly, giving out a soft groan when she felt the pain in her body that had not been there before, as well as exhaustion.

Eyelids drifting open, she took in her surroundings, and instantly frowned when she saw the machines in the sterile-looking room. Close to said machines, there were rows upon rows of flowers, and small plush toys, as well as other gifts. Eyes drifting down, she tensed when she noticed that she was wearing a hospital gown, with an IV drip injected onto her arm.

Her breathing began to quicken.

Where on earth was she? Obviously she was in a hospital, but how did she end up here? One moment she's at the Icarus theatre, waiting for Five to activate the machine to send them all back, and now she's in a hospital? Was there something she missed?

Deciding that she wasn't just going to lie there and be confused, she shifted to her side so she could get out of the hospital bed when her breath hitched and she froze.

Beside her bed there stood a small bassinet, and now everything made sense. She knew exactly where she was.

The date is April third two-thousand and twelve, the day Claire was born.

' _We may end up scattered around the timeline.'_

Blinking a couple of times, Allison groaned and slumped back on her bed.

So Five's device worked. She was back in time, but to a moment she hadn't expected to end up. For some reason, she thought they would be transported a few months or weeks before the apocalypse, not seven years in the past!

Allison shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

What was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to put an end to the apocalypse? About her family, about...oh god, what was she supposed to do about Patrick? The asshole she's currently still married to, what was she-

A soft gurgle suddenly came from the bassinet, snapping her out of her train of thoughts.

Turning on the spot once again, she looked over the hospital bed railing and inside the bassinet. As if that was all she needed, her breathing instantly returned to a normal rhythm, and her body lost some of its tension as she smiled fondly at Claire, her eyes moistening.

Fast asleep, Claire's little hands were closed into a soft fist, her tiny little chest rising up and down as she breathed. Allison had forgotten how small she was as a newborn, how fragile.

"Hi Claire," she said softly, not wanting to wake her up.

All the response she got was the faint wrinkle of her nose as she continued to sleep.

Turning her gaze away from Claire, Allison looked at the empty chair next to her bed and scoffed, her mood instantly souring once more.

It was exactly as she had remembered it, Patrick was nowhere to be seen.

The day Claire was born, this very day, he was called into work, and instead of saying no as any proper husband and father would, he assured them he'd be there. In the end, Patrick had only been present during the birthing but quickly left, leaving her all alone. She didn't even have any of her friends or siblings with her, no one to share the most important moment in her life. At the time she hadn't blamed Patrick, she was much too helplessly in love and foolish to see his shortcomings, but now that she's got another chance at this part of her life, she was sure not to make the same mistake.

Turning her attention away from the chair to the bassinet, her eyes suddenly caught on something on her nightstand. It was a regular, every day newspaper, but what caught her eyes wasn't that, it was the picture on the front.

Grabbing the newspaper from the nightstand, having a bit of trouble due to the IV and the hospital bed railing, she took the paper between both hands and her eyes bulged. This couldn't be right.

_Number Five and Number Seven help put out a local warehouse fire._

What?

With wide, confused eyes, she looked at the picture under the headline.

The picture had been taken far away from a half-destroyed warehouse, yet her eyes instantly caught on Vanya. She was standing close to the warehouse, talking to a couple of soot-covered firefighters. Even stranger was the strangely familiar man who was standing behind her, his brows knit together, utterly exasperated by the elderly woman holding onto his arm for dear life, her eyes wide from shock,

Mouth falling open, thinking that she was seeing things, Allison read and re-read the headline, and then looked at the picture, trying to see if it was fake or some sort of prank. However, when she saw the date, the day before today in fact, and how real the newspaper was, she couldn't deny the truth. Somehow she didn't just end up being transported back in time but to an alternate reality.

Letting out a shaky breath, she stared at the wall ahead of her as a million questions rushed to her head.

How could this have happened? What could it mean? How can Vanya know about her powers? Is this even her life? Could it somehow be different in this reality? What on earth had gone wrong? Five never said anything about an alternate reality.

Breathing hard, she reached for the tv controller on the bedside table and clicked the button. Instantly the TV came to life, the channel was the news, exactly the channel she wanted. She hoped that somehow it would answer at least some of her questions.

Allison tapped her finger impatiently as the anchorman went over local, everyday news until finally, it changed to the news from yesterday.

As the image on the Tv changed from the studio to the blazing warehouse, Allison completely tuned out the anchorman's voice as she stared at the video.

The footage wasn't the best seeing as the cameraman had to stand a few feet away and the impressive amount of black smoke covering everything. But despite all that, the single person standing calmly in front of the warehouse was like a beacon amongst all the chaos and Allison could not believe her eyes.

It was one thing seeing it in the newspaper, but it was another thing to see it on TV.

The cameraman who had filmed the whole thing, zoomed in as Vanya lifted herself off the ground until she was hovering mid-air like it was the most natural thing to do. Vanya spread her arms slightly away from her body, and Allison guessed she was using her powers because as soon as she did that the warehouse seemed to freeze in place. Of course, the flames kept blazing, but the half-destroyed warehouse stopped crumbling to pieces. Vanya didn't stop there, however, as large black clouds began to gather above the warehouse and rain began to fall, helping the firefighters put out the fire.

Much like the people gathered around the cameraman, she was in awe as she stared at Vanya. However, when a flash of blue caught her eyes at the edge of the screen, she turned her attention to it. Thankfully, the cameraman had done the same as he turned the camera away from Vanya and towards the crowd of paramedics gathered near the warehouse. For a few seconds, Allison looked at the screen confused, not seeing the source of what that flash of blue had come from, until the man from the newspaper picture suddenly appeared out of thin air, supporting a man. Of course, Allison knew right away who the man was and why he had seemed so familiar.

The video wasn't the best quality, and he was covered in soot from head to toe but she could still make out some of the facial details of the man that was somehow Five.

After depositing the man to one of the paramedics, Five turned his attention back on the warehouse and disappeared, only to reappear again with yet another person.

As if Vanya somehow knowing about her powers, and having full control of them wasn't enough, Five also had to be present, and not as his thirteen-year-old self, but as a full-grown man and working with Vanya no less. The whole thing was just utterly confusing. One moment Vanya had lost control and destroyed the moon, and now there she was, saving a warehouse alongside Five.

When the video changed from the warehouse to a field reporter, holding a microphone to Vanya, Allison concentrated on the screen once more. Once again, Allison wasn't listening to the interview, far too busy looking at Vanya in shock.

Her sister was smiling broadly at the field reporter, not a speck of dust or debris or anything on her. The oddest thing for Allison however, was when she noticed the leather black Umbrella academy uniform she was wearing, not the school one, the one they wore on missions. Thankfully she wasn't wearing the whole uniform, her eyes weren't covered by a domino mask, allowing her to notice that she was wearing makeup, something the Vanya she knew rarely did.

Staring wide-eyed at the Tv, Allison could not believe she was looking at her sister.

Suddenly interested to know what was being said, Allison turned up the volume, and finally paid attention to what the field reporter was saying.

"Some people are questioning the fire department's inability to stop the fire before it spread out of control, what do you think?"

Vanya cocked her head a little, and answered with a smile.

"As always, we support and have full confidence in the local fire department, who are very capable of carrying out their jobs, and the real heroes of their communities."

Allison's mouth fell open.

"However, sometimes accidents like this happen, and it's nobody's fault. Fires get out of control, it happens."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Today, they needed a helping hand and we were glad to give it to them."

Vanya, or whoever that was, didn't look, nor sound like her sister. It was like looking at a completely different person, and yet she couldn't deny it, the person there was Vanya.

Slumping back on the headboard, she looked at the Tv in disbelief. Where on earth is she?

Desperate for answers, Allison grabbed her phone from the nightstand and began to type. She knew she shouldn't be doing anything too extraneous, not after giving birth. But she needed to know.

_Vanya Hargreeves_

She typed into the search bar and tapped enter.

For a few seconds, she was overwhelmed by the number of results she got. From recent articles to countless videos of her doing impossible things with her powers to even memes, there was just too much information on her.

Eyes landing on a special TIMES magazine with Vanya in the front cover, looking at the camera with a confident smile she had never seen before, with a familiar domino mask held between her fingers, she frowned.

_Number Seven, the face behind the mask._

After paying for the magazine, she began to read.

Number Seven _, otherwise known as Vanya Hargreeves, was the seventh member of the Umbrella Academy, a young superhero team…._

For an entire two hours, she read the magazine from cover to cover, and though she was certain she hadn't missed a thing, she was even more confused and shocked than before.

Beginning with the fact that this Vanya never had her powers hidden from her, and thus became a member of the Umbrella Academy. Yet, oddly enough, she only got to join the team at age fifteen rather than age thirteen. She had been confused as to why, until she read that Vanya had waited two years to join because she needed more time to fully master her powers. That was probably dad's doing, but Allison supposed that made sense, however, the rest didn't.

After joining the academy, she quickly became a media sensation when the public learned how powerful she was. The magazine even went as far as to say that, with Vanya in the team, the others were no longer needed seeing as she could complete almost every mission on her own. How the public started to focus less on the Umbrella Academy team, and more on the illustrious Number Seven, a confident, friendly, and caring girl the media couldn't get enough of. How, after the team disbanded she continued her hero work alongside another member of the academy, Five. Who she was very shocked to hear, has had a steady relationship with since the age of eighteen, or so the magazine speculated.

Taking in a deep breath, Allison put her phone down, her mouth slightly open. There were so many other things she didn't understand from the magazine, but she was far too overwhelmed to even think about all the other details. It just didn't make sense. Five said their conscience was going to be sent back in time, not that they were going to end up in a different reality altogether. Because this is what this was, another reality, one she was very unfamiliar with.

Before she could think further on the matter, to try to make some sense of things, a knock came from the door.

Head snapping to the door, she looked at it wide-eyed as it slowly opened and through the crack poked the head of a nurse.

"Mrs. Henderson," The nurse greeted with a smile, and Allison had to do everything in her power to stop herself from cringing when she heard the last name. "You have visitors."

Before Allison could ask what visitors, the nurse stepped to the side and through the door walked in the very person she had been reading about.

Vanya walked inside the room, followed closely behind by Five, the older version of him she saw on the tv and the magazine.

Much like the Vanya in the magazine and Tv, this Vanya didn't seem at all like her sister. This Vanya wasn't wearing a bottomed up shirt with black jeans. This Vanya was wearing khaki pants, with a formal navy blue top, and strangely enough, wore heels, something Allison never got her to do no matter how much she tried. However, despite the change in style, this Vanya, while she carried herself with more confidence, Allison noticed that there was something about her that still reminded her of the Vanya she knew. She couldn't quite place what it was.

"Allison!" She said softly, but with excitement, careful to keep her voice down seeing as Claire was sleeping.

For a few seconds, Allison was unsure as to how to respond, what to say to this woman that looked like her sister. However, when Five's words came back to her she inhaled deeply through her nose.

' _No one can know you're from the future or you might end up altering the timeline.'_

"Vanya!" She greeted, giving out a soft huff when her sister leaped and pulled her into a hug.

Tension falling from her shoulders, she let out a deep breath as she hugged her back. She kept remembering what happened in the theatre, how it had all been her fault. That she had been the one to push her, the one to destroy her life, something this version of Allison never did.

When she pulled away from her, but still held onto her shoulders, Vanya smiled broadly at her.

"How are you? How are you feeling? The doctors said everything went perfectly smooth but-"

Allison's brows shot up, unable to keep up with all the questions Vanya was bombarding her.

"You know, she might be able to tell us how everything went if you so much as give her a second to speak," Five mused, his voice sounding a little like before but much deeper, with none of the whining behind it.

Eyes going from Vanya, Allison looked behind her at Five.

She was a little shocked to see how much he changed, especially with his height. No longer stuck in his thirteen-year-old body, he was nearly Diego's height which compared to Vanya, was pretty tall. However, although his height changed his hair remained more or less the same, with bangs flopping to the side. As for his clothes, he wasn't obviously wearing his Umbrella uniform but a pair of navy blue pants, a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a navy blue tie.

Vanya's lips thinned as she looked up at Five and glared at him, no real malice behind it. Five simply shrugged, and gave her a lopsided smile, almost like a challenge as he slipped his hands inside his pant pockets. However, his attention didn't stay on Vanya for too long as he turned to look at her.

"Allison." he tilted his head slightly in greeting, his smile falling. "Congratulations on the baby."

"Ugh," Vanya drawled.

"You might as well be congratulating her for sealing a business deal or something with all that enthusiasm!" Vanya huffed, rolling her eyes.

Waking up from all the racket, Claire gave out a soft gurgling sound.

Eyes going to the bassinet, Vanya smiled from ear to ear.

"Hello," she cooed, her voice a slightly higher pitch.

Turning to look at Claire, Allison cocked her head and smiled when she saw her daughter's baby brown eyes, looking at Vanya with wonder. Allison didn't know much about newborns, Claire being her only daughter, but she knew Claire was responding to her environment with a little more interest than most newborns.

"Can I hold her?" Vanya asked tentatively.

Allison tensed.

The memory of Vanya destroying the moon suddenly flashed in her mind, how she killed Pogo without any hesitation and she nearly shuddered.

Feeling a set of eyes on her, Allison looked up and noticed that Five was eyeing her. She was a little confused by it but decided not to dwell on it too long as she answered with a smile.

"Sure."

Vanya didn't have to be told twice as she beamed and grabbed Claire from her bassinet.

"Hello…" Vanya stopped, as she no doubt realized she didn't know the name yet, but still kept her eyes on Claire.

"Claire," Allison said and Vanya's smile broadened.

"Hi there Claire!"

Claire made a soft cooing sound as she looked up at Vanya with wide, wondrous eyes, no doubt unsure as to what to make of the new stranger. But seemed to become more interested as Vanya rocked her in her hands, and started talking softly to her.

"I'm your aunt, Vanya."

Behind Vanya, Five simply glanced down at Claire briefly with one cocked brow, not seeming at all impressed, before walking to the other side of the room, more interested in the piles of presents. Stopping in front of a large bouquet of flowers, with a large clear balloon tied to it and a plush bunny inside, he spoke.

"So." Allison frowned when she heard the sharpness in his voice. "Where is he then?"

Allison didn't need any further clarification to know he was asking about Patrick. It was after all, strange that after giving birth to her daughter her father was nowhere to be seen.

"He went home to get a few things," she lied, not really sure why she was lying.

Five hummed, not sounding at all like he believed her as he turned to face her. Strangely enough, she noticed Five's jaw clenched slightly, but that quickly passed and he looked at her indifferently. Making her wonder if she had imagined it until he spoke.

"So, the asshole-"

Before Five could finish his sentence, Vanya quickly walked towards him, Claire still in her arms.

"Do you want to hold her?" She asked, giving him a toothy smile, changing the topic which worked flawlessly.

In her life, Allison had never seen Five's expression change so quickly.

Anger quickly drained out of him, as his brows wrinkled and his nose flared in panic as he looked from Claire to Vanya, his mouth opening and closing. When he finally re-gathered himself, his jaw clenched and he shook his head.

"I don't think-"

Before he could say no, Vanya stepped forward and Five's eyes widened when she placed Claire on his arms, unable to argue as he was forced to bring his arms up when Vanya tucked Claire's head on the crook of his arm.

For a long few seconds, both Allison and Vanya smiled in amusement as Five completely froze and frowned as he looked at Claire, looking completely out of his element, and they weren't the only ones to notice.

Seeming to sense Five's hesitation, Claire wasn't at all happy as she shifted on the spot, and made soft gurgling sounds newborns make, not quite a cry yet. Five tensed further. However, before it could turn into a cry, Vanya wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head on his arm as she looked down at Claire.

"Don't worry Claire, this is you uncle Five," Vanya assured her softly, stroking Claire's head with featherlight fingers.

For a few seconds, Claire continued to make the same angry, gurgling sounds but then she calmed down and twisted slightly in Five's arms, and touched his tie, more interested in it than them.

Vanya grinned and continued to stroke Claire's head, while Five lost some of the tension in his shoulder.

All the while, Allison stared at them. She never would have guessed that Vanya and Five would ever end up together.

In her childhood, Five and Vanya were close, always seeking each other's company. However, she always saw that as a friendly bond more than anything. Of course, they weren't really siblings. In the academy, they weren't raised to be siblings, more like teammates than anything else. The only reason they called each other brothers and sisters is that, as young children, it seemed only natural. What else were you supposed to call six other children that shared the same birthday and last name as you? However, their father never encouraged any family bond between them or any bond for that matter. In fact, the only reason Reginal was their father is because it was the only way he could acquire them, the only legal way to keep seven children that weren't his. Still, Vanya and Five were close, and it seems that if Five hadn't left that bond would have changed into something more, which is what clearly happened in this reality. Sure, when she first read about their relationship she couldn't really see it. Five, the cocky, smug, prick that he was, with timid, too good for her own good Vanya, but now that she thought about it, it made perfect sense,

As Five began to rock Claire after Vanya taught him how he started to calm down until Claire's nose wrinkled and Allison knew what was coming before it did.

All of a sudden, Claire gave out a tiny wail as she began to cry.

Instantly, Five tensed and looked at her like she was some sort of bomb ready to go off. Allison couldn't help but chuckle, she had never seen Five so out of his element, he was usually so cocky and confident.

"She's probably just hungry," Allison explained, waving him towards her.

Five didn't have to be told twice as he stepped towards Allison and placed the child in her arms, quickly stepping back, almost as if relieved that she was no longer in his arms.

As Allison adjusted Claire in her arms, a soft smile on her lips as she looked down at her daughter, Five-pointed to the door, still looking a little awkward.

"I'm gonna go get a coffee," he announced, walking around the bed and towards the door. However, before he left he turned to face Vanya. "Do you want anything?"

Vanya gave him a tight lip smile and shook her head.

"No thank you."

With that Five nodded and spatial jumped out of the room, giving Allison a little privacy as Claire continued to wail in her arms, furious that they weren't paying her attention.

Allison rolled her eyes at her daughter and quickly got to feed her. After she was done, Vanya helped her put Claire back in her bassinet. Turning on the bed, Allison gazed at Claire as she stroked her head until her eyes slowly drifted close. Once she was asleep, Allison smiled fondly and turned to look at Vanya, a little surprised by the look of longing in her eyes as she looked at Claire. A look she had seen briefly in her sister's face when Five had been holding her daughter.

"So you and Five?" Allison asked, deciding to bite the bullet. "Will there be any wedding bells any time soon?"

From what she read in the magazine, Vanya and Five have been dating for five years, so it made her wonder how they haven't gotten married yet. Of course, they're only twenty-three, and while she didn't think it when she was that age, they're still very young, practically children. Still, from what she could tell, they both clearly love each other, something that could be easily seen in the ways he looks at her. His eyes just lost that usual cockiness, and arrogance he looks at everything. There was also the fact that they apparently moved in together, something she found out from an online article rather than the magazine.

Vanya didn't answer right away as she sighed, and sat on the chair beside the bed and crossed her legs. Instead of looking at Allison, she looked at the large pink teddy bear amongst the other presents and flowers.

Nearly giving out a startled yelp when the teddy bear suddenly lifted up into the air and floated across the room, Allison stared at Vanya as she grabbed the teddy bear and smiled fondly at it, not at all noticing her startled expression. Not at all shocked that she had made something levitate across the room as if it was no big deal and something everyone can do.

Grabbing the gift tag, Vanya cocked her head and smiled.

"From Ben," Vanya read, and Allison nearly choked. Did Vanya just say, Ben? "Too bad he couldn't make it, he was looking forward to seeing Claire."

Allison barely heard a thing Vanya said, her brain still trying to process the name, Ben.

Obviously it seems that Ben is alive, but how could he be? What else is different in this reality?

Before her mind started to unravel the news that Ben is alive, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the moment. She couldn't let Vanya know something was off, seeing as she clearly had no idea she was from another reality.

"So...wedding?" She asked, forcing a smile.

Vanya didn't seem to notice the fake smile as she sighed and leaned back on her seat, the teddy bear still in her hand as she stared at it.

"Very unlikely, at least at the moment," Vanya mumbled, clearly displeased.

"Oh?" Allison shifted on the spot so she could face Vanya.

"Yea," Vanya sighed, stroking the teddy bear's ear between her fingers. "I mean, Five hasn't brought it up, or even talked about a life together. t's like he's completely avoiding the topic."

"But you do?" Allison gestured with her hand and clarified. "I mean, you do want to marry him?"

For several long seconds, Vanya kept staring at the teddy bear, looking at it with longing, her lips formed into a tight line.

"Yes," Vanya sighed, and she finally looked up at her. "I think I'm ready for that next stage in our relationship." Vanya gestured at her. "I mean, you and Patrick have only been together for a little over a year and you guys are already married, and have a child. Meanwhile, Five and I have been together for seven years and the most we've achieved in our relationship is moving in together"

Seven years? So definitely longer than what the magazines said. Still, Vanya and Five were still young and had their lives ahead of them. She shouldn't be worried about marriage and children yet, not to mention that she and Patrick are not good role models of what a marriage should be.

Allison shook her head.

"You shouldn't use my relationship with Patrick as a good example."

Vanya frowned and cocked her head.

"Why? Did something happen?" She asked, confused. "I mean I noticed there was something up when I didn't see him, but I didn't want to assume…"

"No, it's just that…" she didn't want to unravel the whole issue with Patrick right there and then. Though, if she was getting another shot at this part of her life, there were definitely a few things she was going to change, despite what her reality's Five had said.

"We took things too fast, got married too soon, and had a kid when we should have taken the time to get to know each other."

Vanya looked down at the teddy bear as if she didn't agree with her. She guessed she would have been the same, after all, a lot of her friends warned her that she was taking things a little too fast with Patrick and she never listened to them. Even Luther had called her the day her engagement got out into the public, and though he hadn't told her she was taking things too fast, he had voiced his concerns. Concerns Allison had scoffed at and simply hung up the phone. At the time she thought Luther had simply been jealous, but she had been wrong... well mostly.

Allison leaned forward and placed a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Live a little Vanya, go on vacations, enjoy each other's company, you have your whole life ahead of you to get married."

That made Vanya look up from the teddy bear and back at her, a bit of a smile on her lips but she still didn't seem convinced, so Allison continued.

"Besides, I think you should also be mindful of what Five wants as well. From what it seems, he's not ready for marriage and that's alright, you just need to be patient with him. I'm sure that when he's ready, he'll ask you."

Vanya sighed.

"But we're already living together, getting married wouldn't change much," she argued.

Allison shrugged.

"Sure your current living conditions won't change, but that doesn't mean other things won't," she explained, cocking her head. "Marriage generally means settling down and making a family and I think Five's having a little bit more trouble with the whole, having a family side of it. Maybe Five's not ready for that yet."

That seemed to do the trick as Vanya sighed again and nodded, giving Allison a genuine smile. However, before she could say anything Five suddenly spatial jumped back into the room and Allison nearly jumped out of her skin, while Vanya didn't seem at all shocked, probably far too used to Five suddenly appearing and disappearing out of nowhere.

"We need to go," Five grumbled, clearly not at all happy.

Looking away from Allison to him, Vanya cocked her head and Allison looked at Five, confused by his urgency.

"The chief of police just called, there's been a shootout and someone's been taken hostage," he explained.

Oh, right, the whole superhero thing, she nearly forgot.

Vanya deflated and groaned.

"Seriously? Another one?"

Five simply nodded and Vanya huffed as she stood up and looked back at Allison.

"We best get going," Vanya grumbled, not at all happy that she needed to leave. "But we'll be back as soon as we're done." She assured her.

Turning her attention from Allison to the bassinet, Vanya smiled down at Claire.

"Goodbye Claire," she said softly.

Five, who was standing beside her impatiently looking down at his watch, quickly grabbed her arm as soon as she said her goodbyes and spatial jumped them out of the room.

Allison was left all alone in the room, staring at the spot Vanya and Five had occupied.

* * *

Frozen on the spot, Vanya couldn't believe all that Allison just said, there was just too much to process.

She was a celebrity? A superhero? She could control her powers? And not just that, but pull off incredible feats with them. The media is obsessed with her? She and Five have been together for fourteen years? The longest she's been with anyone has been a couple of months, much less think about marriage as this version of Vanya had. This was all just so strange.

Feeling sick again, Vanya took a deep breath to steady herself.

"You're telling me I'm a superhero?" She asked tentatively, her voice soft.

It was Ben who nodded and seeing as the ten minutes had long passed, he was the one to answer.

"That's why everyone recognizes you."

Vanya groaned and stroked her temple. Despite what Diego and the other may have thought in the other reality, she never wanted any fame. Sure, she wanted some recognition, but she never wanted fame, didn't want to be in the spotlight. What was she supposed to do now?

"But how about you? You're still a movie star, right?" She asked Allison.

"Yea she is, but let's be honest, she's usually in chick flicks and there's no way in hell any of these fossils have ever watched any of them," Klaus was the one to answer. "But you? Who doesn't know Number Seven? Guardian of the weak, champion of the people! The-"

"Getting ahead of yourself again, Klaus" Allison warned but Klaus simply waved her away.

"Nah but seriously, you should honestly read the comic's they've made about you. Just smoke some of the good stuff and you'll be laughing for hours, especially with how they've drawn Five!"

"Yea, Five hates those things," Ben agreed with a smirk.

"I know! But don't worry, even if he somehow managed to burn every copy on the planet, I still have a few stashed in my room, I'm su-"

"Guys, please,' Allison huffed and Klaus shut his mouth.

Allison sighed and looked at Vanya, who was looking at them like she was close to having a panic attack.

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in. When I woke up nothing made sense, and my life was more or less unaffected, I can only imagine what you're going through," Allison said, placing a hand on top of hers. "But it'll be alright, in time the memories of this reality's Vanya will come back to you, Y-"

"What?!" Vanya asked, shocked.

She was going to get this Vanya's memories? Why had nobody mentioned that?!

Ben stroked the back of his neck, as he realized their mistake.

"Yea, it's kind of odd and off-putting, but as time goes by you'll get her memories. It's kind of like this reality's you and," Ben gestured at her. " _you,_ will fuse together, but I'm guessing for you it'll be a little more impactful since both your lives are so different."

"Yea, it's kind of a bummer. Instead of having wet dreams every night like always, I had to dream what small little Klaus of this reality got up to," Klaus grumbled.

Despite their assurance, Vanya wasn't sure how to feel about getting this _Vanya's_ memories. On one hand, it might make the process of getting used to this reality easier, but at the same time, it scared her. She had no idea who this Vanya was, the one the public looked up to.

She sighed and nodded, and managed to calm herself a bit. That was of course when she heard a very familiar electrical pop coming from outside the donut shop, followed by a blue flash and she instantly froze.

She didn't need to look to know who had just arrived.

"Well shit, the reckoning is upon me," Klaus grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry I'm a day behind on my update, this chapter was just too long! Anyways, finally we got a few answers and Five's finally back in the picture! So that's gonna be exciting!
> 
> Anyways, thank you again for all your support! I'm really happy you all love this story!


	6. Number Five

Vanya could barely breathe as her eyes followed, a very angry looking Five, from the parking lot to the donut shop. In fact, the others seemed to share her reaction as they too stared at Five with wide eyes, tensing on the spot, especially Klaus.

Turning behind her, Klaus grabbed her shoulder, using her as a human shield.

"Protect me from your fiancé," Klaus mumbled into her ear.

Vanya wanted to reassure him, but she couldn't, she could barely even blink.

As the doors banged open when Five walked in, the few people around the shop turned to look at him, clearly annoyed but when they noticed who he was their eyes widened. Clearly, he was just as famous as she was.

Five stormed through the donut shop, eyes landing on their booth as he made his way towards them. Not at all paying attention to the people looking at him.

As she sat there, she didn't know what to expect, maybe for him to yell at Klaus for hanging up the phone on him earlier, as Klaus was clearly expecting as well. What she didn't expect was for him to stop in front of the booth, freezing on the spot, eyes widening when they landed on her, not even acknowledging the others, almost as if they didn't exist.

Brown eyes met turquoise eyes, and time seemed to slow down.

Vanya felt her heart beat faster but she couldn't look away from him, not when the edges of his lips downturned, and he frowned, his mouth opening slightly. For it was then that realization hit her. How did Five find her? How did he know she would be here? She didn't put it past him to track her phone, but by his expression, she knew he hadn't. His expression screamed only one thing. That he knew exactly who she was. That this Five isn't from this reality, it's the Five from her reality.

Vanya's mouth fell open, the inside corner of her brows slanted upwards.

"OK….." Klaus drawled, breaking the tense silence. "I think Five and Vanya crashed guys."

She didn't even hear a word that Klaus said, not snapping out of her trance-like state. Vanya simply continued to stare at him, unsure as to where to even begin.

He knew who she was, and she doubted he just arrived today, not with the way he was looking at her with apprehension. Which meant that he knew, and yet he's still somehow engaged to this version of Vanya, which then pulled her mind into another dangerous realization. Had he just used this version of Vanya? Taking advantage of the situation? The thought made anger run hot inside her.

The bastard.

Jaw clenching, her muscles tensed as she now glared at Five.

As if he knew what she was thinking, his brows slanted downward, almost as if from sorrow.

"Geez, can we please stop with the sexual tension? You're making me sweat," Klaus huffed, fanning his face, completely misinterpreting the situation.

Ben, however, seemed to understand more than Klaus as he frowned and looked at Five in disbelief.

"Don't tell me it's actually you?" He asked practically in a whisper.

Five briefly looked at Ben, and his eyes widened slightly, but otherwise didn't say anything as he quickly looked back at her. It seems that, like Allison, he had no idea this Ben was their reality's Ben.

That made Klaus jump in surprise, as he let go of her and straightened on his seat to properly look at Five.

"Holy shit, it can't be," Klaus gaped.

Five's attention briefly went to him as if to answer his question, but then went back to her.

"Grumpy old man Five?" Klaus asked softly, hesitantly as if talking to a very angry animal that could snap at any moment.

Five didn't answer, but she noticed the way his jaw clenched slightly and so did Klaus and the others.

Klaus raised his hands and pushed his hair back, a wide amused smile on his lips.

"Oh fuck man, this is-"

"I need to talk to Vanya in private." He practically commanded, no usual cocky smile on his lips, his voice soft, not once looking away from her.

She wanted to say that she didn't want to hear what he had to say, but the curious side of her, as well as the reasonable one, kept telling her that she needed to give him a chance to explain himself. That she was jumping to conclusions too quickly, that he deserved a chance. That she knew Five better than to simply take advantage of her, but the furious side of her was more dominant. Thankfully, however, the reasonable one won out as she simply kept her mouth shut and kept glaring at him.

Klaus shook his head.

"No way, this is just getting go-"

Before Klaus could finish, and before Five really did kill him seeing as he was now glaring daggers at him, Allison stood up from her seat and gestured at Ben and Klaus.

"I heard a rumour that you shut up and followed me."

Thankfully Vanya didn't need to get off the booth as Klaus went limp as he stepped on the table, and hopped off the booth, not saying a word. Ben didn't need to be rumoured as he too stepped out of the booth and stood beside Allison, eyeing Five distrustfully.

"We'll be in the parking lot, but afterwards we deserve an answer too," Allison glared at him, seeming to come to the same conclusion as her. " _Five,"_ Allison grumbled his name.

Five barely even acknowledged her as he simply nodded.

With that Allison, Ben and Klaus left the shop, leaving her alone with him.

For a few awkward moments, they both kept staring at each other, until Five sighed in an exhausted manner. Slipping out of his blazer, he placed it on a coat rack next to the booth and finally sat on what used to be Allison's seat. Vanya's eyes followed him the whole time.

For another few seconds, his jaw clenched and unclenched as he seemed to figure out how best to start. When he leaned forward, he finally spoke with a near whisper.

"Vanya-"

"I just want to know one thing," she interrupted, vaguely realizing that this had been the first time she had interrupted him in her life, but she didn't care. "How long have you been here?"

How long has he kept up this lie? How long has he been using her? She didn't say that, but she suspected he understood the underlying meaning behind her question as he sighed and leaned back on his seat and regarded her.

* * *

_February 5th, 2010_

Five's eyes snapped open as he took a deep breath, almost as if life had just been breathed back into him.

For a long while, he just stayed on the same spot, completely disoriented as his eye shifted from side to side, trying to analyze his surroundings.

It was obvious that he had travelled back in time, that the device he used had worked as intended, what he didn't understand was exactly where he was. He had expected to end up in his older body, probably in the middle of a mission for the commission. Or if he was really unlucky, somewhere in the post-apocalyptic world again. Not once did he expect to end up on a soft bed, in what felt like his young, adult body. Still, he wasn't as completely shocked as he should have been.

Of course, something like this was to be expected. The commission's device was finicky, and not the best way to travel in time, but what choice did he have? The only thing he could do now was, find out where he was, and what had gone wrong. Because something clearly had.

About to slip the sheet off of him, Five suddenly froze when someone stirred beside him and splayed a small, delicate hand over his bare chest.

Five tensed, but still not quite shocked yet.

This isn't the first time he's woken up in a situation like this. Back when he was with the commission, he'd find himself with some strange woman in his bed after getting completely drunk the night before. What else was he supposed to do without Dolores? However, when he didn't feel a hangover headache, he frowned and looked down.

When his eyes landed on her, they instantly widened.

The woman had long, dark brown hair, completely tousled and sticking out at odd angles. Her face was one of complete bliss as she slept, her cheek resting against his chest, her body rising up and down slowly as she breathed rhythmically. It was even a little cute how her nose wrinkled a little bit, however, Five was more focused on who the woman was.

It took his brain a few seconds to completely realize, and accept that the woman was Vanya. And a few seconds more to accept the fact that they were both naked under the sheets.

Every muscle in his body froze. What the hell-

Vanya's eyelids fluttered a little as she began to wake up.

"Good morning," she hummed, opening her eyes slowly.

Five didn't even have the chance to respond or even come to terms with the situation he just found himself in, as Vanya stretched herself towards him and pressed her lips against his.

His brows shot up and his eyes widened, and he gave out a soft startled huff against her lips. However, Vanya didn't seem to notice as she continued to roll her lips against his, her eyes closed.

Even though his breathing quickened, and he was getting dizzy, both from the kiss and everything else, he didn't reciprocate. His lips remained tightly closed. Placing his hands on her shoulder, he intended to push her away softly, but then she did something he hadn't expected.

He didn't think it was even possible, he's always been a well-grounded, controlled individual, but as soon as Vanya shifted and straddled him his brain short-circuited.

She hadn't even separated their lips, not once giving him a moment to re-gather himself. Instead, she pressed their faces closer together as she sank her fingers into his hair and grabbed his bottom lips between her teeth then sucked on it languidly.

Control cracking, he felt himself melt into the kiss as he closed his eyes, and returned it. Slowly he raised his hands and was about to place them on her hips when he heard the voice at the back of his head yelling at him to stop, telling him that this was incredibly wrong. Not because it was Vanya, but because he had no idea what was going on, where he was.

Slowly coming back to his senses, he managed to separate their lips and took a deep breath to steady himself, which didn't help. She was still much much too close, pressing her forehead to his, their breaths mingled.

Five opened his eyes, finding hers still closed.

Where the hell was he?

"Grumpy already?" She asked with a fake pout, as she opened her eyes. Not sounding at all annoyed, but rather amused.

Five opened his mouth to answer, unsure as to what exactly he intended to say. But she didn't let him say anything once again as she pressed their lips back together, giving him a little peck before she hummed and slipped out of bed.

For a moment he sighed in relief, finally able to think, until his eyes widened and he nearly choked.

Looking at her, he had to use every part of his control to stop himself from gaping, especially as the sheets slipped off of her. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he quickly averted his eyes when he noticed that she was indeed naked.

Five closed his eyes and counted down from ten.

Once he was sure she put something on, he looked back at her only for his breath to hitch when he saw that she was wearing what no doubt was his shirt. Thankfully, she had her back to him as she buttoned up the shirt, but he still got a good view of her bare legs and some of her ass.

Five's throat went dry and barely managed to catch himself from ogling at her as she turned and gave him a sultry smile.

"I'll go make coffee."

With that she stepped out of the room, leaving him completely confused and uncomfortably aroused.

What?

Five stayed on the bed, wides eyed and taking in deep breaths to calm himself back down, all the while he kept wondering what the hell that was. His mind instinctually tried to think logically.

Clearly that Vanya wasn't the Vanya he knew, which means that her conscience hasn't travelled back in time yet. Of course, he knew that was a possibility, especially with her. Out of all of them, Vanya was the only one who had been unconscious and weakened. However, that still left a million other questions left unanswered, starting with that kiss.

Five shook his head.

Spatial jumping out of bed, he managed to find his boxers on the floor, among his clothes and what appeared to be Vanya's. Trying his best not to think too hard of what that implied, he walked around the room in search of some paper and something to write with, all the while he analyzed his surroundings.

Well, they weren't at the academy, that much was obvious, given the modern architecture compared to the Georgian architecture of the academy.

It was a modest apartment, just a large king-size bed in the centre, a closet and a door he guessed led to a bathroom. To the right of the bed, there were two small windows, covered by blinds. Next, to said windows, there was one single armchair, on it, there was a textbook on music theory as well as various sheets of paper with equations scribbled on them, but most importantly, a pencil.

Walking to the armchair, he grabbed the textbook and put it on the bed, knowing that it was probably Vanya's. He then grabbed the sheets of paper and looked through them briefly, wondering what this version of Five was calculating. However, when he didn't find anything of interest, just some basic equations to which he already had the answers to, he grabbed one of the blank sheets of paper and sat on the armchair.

Crossing his legs, he began to write number upon numbers, using science to figure out what had happened to the time continuum. However, just as he began to write down the first number, he heard the door open and he tensed.

Shit, she's back.

"Isn't it a bit early for that?" Vanya asked.

He cursed himself from not having left the apartment.

Five's hand froze briefly but then continued to write, hoping that maybe she'll lose interest if he didn't respond. After all, he doesn't have the time to talk, not when he had to figure out what in hell had gone wrong. Because clearly, this wasn't the timeline he was supposed to end up in. His shock and confusion had to wait.

Instead of taking his lack of answer as a sign that he was busy and didn't want to be disturbed, he heard Vanya's soft footsteps as she made her way towards him. Still, Five continued to write even when he could feel her behind the armchair, even when she placed her hands on his shoulder, although admittedly, his grip on the pencil tightened. At least he confirmed one of his suspicions. This Vanya was most definitely not the Vanya he knows. The Vanya he knows would never be this bold.

Vanya slowly began to massage his shoulder, working on his muscles before kneading them. It was just a simple massage, and yet his breathing began to quicken slowly, losing concentration. Damn it, couldn't this Vanya just keep her hands to herself for at least a minute?

"I thought we might start the morning doing something else," she purred, sliding her hands down, splaying them on his still bare pectorals and making little circles with her fingers. As she leaned down, he took a deep breath when she rested her chin on his shoulder and kissed the line of his jaw before nipping his earlobe softly. His throat bobbed thickly.

Damn it, he couldn't do this. And yet he couldn't help but melt into the touch, his eyes coming to half-mast. Damn him.

Taking his lack of writing, which he had no idea when he had stopped, as a go-ahead to keep going, she continued to kiss him under his ear, her hands pressing him back on the armchair insistently, a demand.

Breathing quickening, Five had to use everything in his power to control himself.

' _No one can know you're from the future or you might end up altering the timeline.'_

Five grit his teeth.

He fucking hated himself sometimes.

"I can't, I really need to finish this," he managed to finally grumble, and continued to write, trying his best to focus.

"Are you sure?" She asked almost as a challenge.

Before Five could figure out what she meant, her hands trailed lower, and her fingertips slipped under the waistband of his boxer.

It took all his training to keep himself from jumping on the spot.

"Positively," he answered, his voice coming out a little lower, as he grabbed her wrist softly before she did anything he couldn't come back from. "It's really important," he insisted, turning his head to look at her with a tight-lipped smile.

Vanya huffed, clearly not happy but didn't argue with him as she slipped her hand out of his hold and pressed a kiss on his cheek.

"Fine, I'll leave you to it. Just don't take too long alright?"

He simply nodded his answer, and she gave his shoulder one final tap before she sauntered across the room, going to a door he guessed was the bathroom.

"I'll be in the shower," she announced, sounding a lot like an invitation.

When he didn't say anything, he heard the soft click of a door being closed and that was when he finally slumped back on his seat.

Closing his eyes, Five took in steady deep breaths, willing himself to calm down, but having a lot of difficulties with it when his mind kept picturing Vanya in the shower, completely-

Five grit his teeth in frustration. Damn his young body and his damn hormones!

The thought that she would welcome him if he went to the shower didn't help one bit. He had no idea where he was, but it was obvious that this version of Vanya was with this reality's version of himself.

' _But you're not that Five,'_ he kept telling himself. If he did anything it would be taking advantage of her, even though he technically wasn't.

Five groaned and stroked his temple, completely forgetting his equations.

Why did time travel always had to go wrong? Why couldn't things just go smoothly for once? No, he had to find himself in some strange reality where he apparently never time travelled, and somehow ended up with Vanya.

Although, as strange as being with her may be, it actually wasn't that much of a surprise. They always were close, not to mention that he had a crush on her when he was a kid, he always suspected that if he hadn't left he might have done something about his feelings. After all, while he was stuck in the post-apocalyptic world he kept her book, being the only thing he took with him. Even when he had seen her again, his feelings hadn't changed. Of course, there was the small problem that he was in his thirteen-year-old body.

Opting to put his equations aside for now, before he did something stupid, he stood up and walked to the closet, doing his best to keep his mind blank.

He needed to get out of this place to think clearly.

Opening the closet, he was relieved to find some clothes that probably belonged to him amongst the clothes that belonged to Vanya. However, given how few of his clothes there were, he suspected that he didn't live here, but probably did visit a lot.

Not thinking too much on it, he slipped on a white dress shirt and pants, grimacing in disgust. His body was sticky from sweat and other things, and though he could definitely use a bath, he simply waved away his discomfort.

When he walked out of the closet, he looked at himself in the mirror to fix his hair, feeling a little strange in seeing this version of himself so well kept, devoid of a beard, long hair, and dirt all over his face.

Once he was more or less presentable enough to go out in public, he looked at the bathroom door.

His brows slanted.

He felt a little guilty about leaving without an explanation, but he had to figure out what had gone wrong. Needed to find out what else was different. One thing's for sure, he just knew one of his nitwit siblings was behind this whole mess.

* * *

Vanya was gaping at him, her brows furrowed together after hearing Five's very brief recount of his arrival in this reality. A million questions were in her head, but one above all others.

"You just let me kiss you?!" She admonished.

Five narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowed, shaking his head slightly from confusion.

"What?" He asked, sounding just as confused as he looked, no doubt not having expected her to say that.

"You just arrived in this reality and you just let this reality's version of me feel you up, and kiss yo-"

Vanya stopped when her cheeks felt like they were on fire.

Finally, Five seemed to understand what she meant but continued to look at her with confusion.

"What was I supposed to do? You were throwing yourself at me!" He grumbled, acting like the victim when she knew any man would have been over the moon to have a _girl_ throwing themselves at them. Far too shocked and still a little angry to realize that Five was not like other men.

Five leaned back on his seat and pushed his hair back, a nervous tic. In fact, he seemed more nervous, and out of place than she's ever seen him before.

"And besides," he grumbled. "You were checking me out this morning."

Vanya had never blushed so intensely as she had then, her mouth falling open as she gaped like a fish out of water.

"I did not check you out!"

Five did not seem to believe her as he looked at his hand that was softly tapping on the table, and snorted.

"Yeah sure, whatever you say," he rolled his eyes, regaining some of his annoying cockiness back.

Vanya grit her teeth.

She wondered how this reality's Vanya even agreed to marry him? Much less spent fourteen years together! She's only been around him for a few minutes and couldn't believe how much of a cocky prick he was.

Deciding not to argue, knowing that it'll get her nowhere, she took a deep breath to calm herself, as well as stop her blushing and looked at Five's hand, where his attention was fixed on.

Her eyes widened, and her shoulders tensed.

On Five's fourth finger there was a simple, yet elegant silver ring with a blue band going around it. Not many men wear one, but she knew it was an engagement to ring.

As she looked at it, the fourth finger on her left hand began to tingle, as she finally felt the ring there, finally noticed that she was wearing it.

Shaking her head softly, she took her attention away from the ring to look at him instead.

There were just so many questions she wanted to ask him, she wasn't sure where to begin, so she settled with the question at hand, the one that she's been asking herself ever since she arrived.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered the courage to ask and finally hear the answer.

"So if you left without a word how come we're…" she trailed off, unable to say the word.

His brows softened as he looked away from the ring, and at her instead.

"Engaged?" He finished for her, and she nodded.

Five sighed and looked at the wall behind her, a faraway look in his eyes.

"Well, I couldn't very well stay away forever could I?"

Her brows shot up.

"You went back?"

Five looked back at his hand and at his ring as if it was a lifeline in all this confusion, and awkwardness.

"Not right away," he admitted, sounding oddly guilty when she's never heard Five being guilty about anything in his life. "After spending a few weeks in this reality, trying to figure everything out, I decided to go back."

"Why?" She asked, knowing that Five wouldn't simply return because he thought she deserved an explanation. He wasn't that kind of person.

Five took a deep breath and looked at her again, his lips formed into a tight line.

"I began to get the memories of this reality's version of myself, not to mention that you kept calling and messaging me," he took another deep breath. "I just couldn't bring myself to ignore you."

Five's lips quirked up as he smirked.

"You slapped me so hard when I finally showed up at your apartment," he said with an odd fondness in his voice.

"Then what?" She asked softly.

Before Five even told her she knew it mustn't have been good, as his lips pulled down and he got that far away look on his eyes again.

"You couldn't know that I was from another reality, and it wasn't right or fair to you, so I just said that I needed some time apart, to figure things out on my own. Of course, that had been a lie, I didn't intend to come back again."

Vanya's frown deepened. She was confused, not by what Five did, she had more or less done the same thing. She ran away from the apartment to figure out what the hell was going on, unable to face him. No, what she was confused about was how she and Five ended up together if he left? She knew Five, once he made up his mind he rarely ever changed it.

Seeming to know what she was thinking, Five sighed and continued to explain.

"You didn't take it well and broke one of the apartment windows. That had been the first and only time I've seen you lose control in this reality," Five said grimly.

Before Vanya could ask why she had reacted that way, almost as if he knew her so well, Five answered.

"You were convinced I was cheating on you, which I guess kind of made sense given the situation."

Vanya frowned.

She could only imagine how badly that conversation must have gone.

"Thankfully I managed to get out with my life and went back to my apartment. We didn't see each other for months."

Curious, Vanya leaned forward.

She wondered how Five managed to fix such a mess, anger leaving her. Clearly, Five acted the same way that she would have, the same way that she planned. She had jumped to conclusions too quickly. He hadn't taken advantage of the situation, hadn't used her somehow, but something else happened and she wanted to know what that was. From what Allison had said, she and Five were close, so much so that she wanted to marry him and that had been two years after Five had arrived, so what had happened?

Five continued with his explanation.

"I left my job at the university and spent every day trying to figure out what went wrong. I barely even slept or ate. The more I got this reality's Five's memories, the more I was encouraged to find an answer," Five sighed and leaned back on his seat. "However, when I got all my memories back and I still didn't have an answer, I knew I wasn't going to find out what happened. Not to mention that I remembered everything about us, how we ended up together, all the things we've gone through, your difficult childhood."

"So you came back again," she finished for him, shocked when Five smirked and shook his head.

* * *

_November 21st, 2010_

A knock came from the door, waking him up.

Five grumbled and turned on the spot, head spinning from the very action, ear ringing when a bottle fell from his chest and onto the floor with a clatter.

Freezing on the spot, he groaned and pressed his hand on his throbbing head, remembering what had happened last night.

He had been sitting in the living room, buried in his notes, a full coffee pot in his hand, a pen on the other. Fully concentrated on his calculations as per usual, still hopelessly trying to figure out what went wrong, trying to find out if the apocalypse was still happening or not, when the last few of this Five's memories hit him.

After an hour of just sitting there, coming to terms with what he just remembered, he realized he needed something much stronger than coffee. So he went to the pantry and grabbed the first bottle of alcohol he saw.

Another knock came from the door, this time more insistent, making his head pound.

Not bothering to answer it, knowing it was probably Ben, who he was still not used to seeing, Five rolled over on the couch and pressed his head against the backrest. He knew that Ben, or whoever it was, would just go away. He wasn't in the mood to entertain guests, much less when Ben just kept insisting he go talk to Vanya. It didn't matter how many times he told him that he didn't want to talk to her, didn't want to see her, not to mention that Ben had no idea why he couldn't go back to her.

As he closed his eyes, the memory of Vanya crying after he told her he needed to leave flashed behind his eyes.

Five tensed.

When the knocks stopped, he sighed, nearly jumping off the couch when the door suddenly banged open.

"You're not even answering the door anymore?!" A very vexed, familiar voice growled.

Every muscle in his body tensed.

"Vanya?" He grumbled, confused, turning his head slightly so he could look at her.

What the hell was she doing here? She shouldn't be here!

Indeed, it was Vanya who was now in his living room, not even looking at him. She was wearing one of those dresses that exposed her legs a little too much. Five's anger quickly drained out of him as he stared at her legs.

Given how tense she was, her brows knit together and her jaw clenched, he knew she was furious. He didn't blame her, he had been avoiding her for months. Which made him wonder why she was here.

Five's eyes followed her as she stormed over to the windows. Without any mercy, Vanya opened the blinds, one by one, until she reached the one close to the couch and opened it, shinning late afternoon light onto his face.

Five grimaced in pain and placed his arm on his eyes, his vision went white for a few seconds. However, Vanya didn't seem to care.

"Ben called, he said you haven't come out of your apartment in weeks," Vanya finally turned to face him, placing her hands on her waist and looking down at him. "Weeks Five!"

Five continued to cover his eyes, his ears ringing with how loud she was being. Has it really been weeks since he had gone out? He hadn't noticed, days just seemed to muddle together.

When he didn't answer, and no doubt noticing his state, dishevelled hair, long beard, and dirty crumpled clothes, her face softened a little.

"What is going on?" She asked softly, as if not wanting to startle him.

Five sighed but didn't answer. He couldn't tell her what was wrong, even though he wanted to and that was just the whole fucking problem. His decision to leave her had been easier a few months ago. He still stood by that decision, he wasn't the Five she had fallen in love with, and couldn't really take his place in her life, even though he now has all his memories. It was difficult to stay away, but he needed to.

He kept his lips tightly sealed. The best way to handle the situation was to not allow his emotions to get the better of him, to be as cold as possible.

Vanya shook her head, clearly losing her patience, but instead of voicing her frustration, she looked around the apartment, no doubt doing her best to distract herself before she throttled him.

"Ben told me you quit your job at the university, so how are you even surviving?" She asked, looking around the apartment disgusted with how messy it was.

He wasn't a messy person, never was. His room at the academy was always impeccable, but lately, he couldn't bring himself to care. Back in two thousand and nineteen, Klaus had said he was obsessed with the apocalypse and he had scoffed at him, but now he realized he was right. He was obsessed with it, obsessed with finding the answer and couldn't bring himself to stop.

Five slowly sat up on the couch, irritated now that he was completely awake and his headache got worse.

"I took out a loan, made some investments. It's currently multiplying as we speak," he answered.

Vanya's brows shot up, surprised.

"Really?"

He nodded, keeping the fact that he had used his knowledge in the future to make said investments. Of course, he had been a little worried he might change something in the timeline by messing with the stock market, but with how fucked up the timeline was, there was no point in trying to maintain it.

At first, he had been convinced one of his siblings had messed it up, but it seems like they didn't know a thing, leading him to think that he was the only one present in this reality. He couldn't ask them either, so their involvement with the timeline had to be thrown out the window.

Not wanting to have Vanya looking down at him with disapproval, he stood up from the couch, swaying slightly on the spot as everything spun around him again.

Vanya didn't offer to help him as he practically stumbled to the kitchen, still partly drunk, he had drunk the entire bottle after all.

Five barely acknowledged the dirty kitchen, dishes and food all over the place as he made his way to the cupboard and took an Alka seltzer. After filling a glass with tap water, he put the little disk inside and watched it dissolve, his head pounding.

He vaguely heard Vanya walk into the kitchen behind him, as he lifted the glass, his hand trembling slightly. He felt like shit, not just because he was half drunk, but because he hadn't eaten a decent meal in ages. Getting drunk was the last straw for his body.

Noticing his trembling hand, Vanya walked up to him and took the glass from him.

Five looked at her, his breathing stopped when he noticed how close she was. Before he knew it he leaned closer, but thankfully didn't do anything as he held some control over his half-drunk mind.

She cocked a brow, not at all impressed.

"Sit," she ordered and stepped around him.

Five sighed at the loss of body heat but did as she asked and went to sit by the messy table, slumping down on the chair.

After she put the glass with Alka seltzer in front of him, she went about making breakfast. Five found himself more interested in watching her cook than drinking the water, fascinated by her.

It was like watching an orchestra as food, and cutlery floated around her as if she was the conductor, and everything was following her command. As she made eggs, off to the side fruits were floating towards the blender to make juice, while at the same time bread floated out of the bag and towards the toaster. Vanya didn't seem at all overwhelmed, even though she was doing at least five things at the same time with her powers, in fact, she seemed perfectly at ease. From what he read, and from the memories that weren't his, he knew she had complete control over her powers, but it was very different to see it in person.

After she was done cooking, a plate of food floated to the table and rested in front of him. It was late for breakfast, but he didn't care, not when his stomach grumbled.

As he wolfed down his food, Vanya didn't sit with him, instead, she began to clean the kitchen in the same manner she had cooked. Dirty dishes floated to the sink and began to wash, while she swept the floor. He wanted to tell her that she didn't need to do that, but when he had stopped eating and he opened his mouth she turned and glared at him, so he shut his mouth and continued to eat.

Once he had finished his food, unable to take another bite, instantly feeling a lot better, Vanya ordered him to go upstairs and take a bath.

Five didn't argue with her, not when she glared at him, a knife she was about to put away in her hand. He may be an assassin and the best assassin at that, but there was no way he was going to defy her. So off to the bathroom he went, spatial jumping instead of walking now that he felt a lot better and was sure he wouldn't end up somewhere else.

Feeling refreshed after taking his bath, he wrapped a towel around his waist and exited the room, when he came face to face with an angry Vanya once more.

"Shave," she ordered.

For a few seconds, Five looked at her confused, wondering if he had heard her right, but when she kept glaring up at him he realized he had heard right. That was when he drew the line, he didn't want to shave, not because he liked the look but because he didn't want to. It was a bit childish of him, but he didn't care, no one told him what to do.

"No," he answered and was about to step around her, when she stood her ground, not letting him leave.

Five glared down at her.

It was a little cute how small she was, her arms crossed and her neck craned to look at him, yet terrifying at the same time. Who would have thought that such a petite woman had the power to destroy the planet?

"While the caveman look might fit Diego, it certainly doesn't fit you."

Five knit his brows together, and crossed his arms, stretching up to his full height and looking down at her defiantly, all for naught because he eventually ended up sitting on the toilet, with Vanya getting things ready to shave him herself.

For a long while, he just sat there, unmoving as she spread shaving cream over his face and began to shave him slowly, methodically. His breathing began to slow down as he allowed her to turn his head from side to side with her small, yet firm fingers. Eventually, he closed his eyes, and his headache began to dissipate, anger and awkwardness leaving him.

Once she was done, she wiped his freshly shaven face with a damp towel and cupped his face between her hands.

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other's eyes, not saying a word.

Everything was still very strange for him, accepting the memories of this Five's reality, but he couldn't deny that he cared about her. At first, he thought that feeling was coming from his new memories, but now he realized that wasn't entirely true, just something he told himself to keep his emotions at bay. The truth is, he only got memories from this reality's Five, not the emotions that came with it. So whatever he was feeling, it was entirely his.

Five sank into her touch as she stroked his cheek with her thumb, and he sighed as he relaxed. He never thought he would crave someone's touch this much.

Likewise, her brows lost some of the creases between them, but the moment didn't last long.

Out of nowhere, Vanya huffed and let go of his face, leaving him feeling cold from the lack of contact.

"Idiot," she growled and walked out of the bathroom before he could ask her to come back.

Five remained seated, looking at the door she had disappeared through.

In the last few months, he had wanted to see her, something that grew more and more the more he got his memories back. But now that she was here, it became harder and harder to remain focused.

Once he managed to regain his senses, wanting nothing more than to call her back, he exited the bathroom, finding her absent from his room this time.

After putting on fresh new clothes, and combing his hair, he exited his room and spatial jumped to the living room, shocked to find it clean. Standing in the middle of the living room was her, looking up at him, her brows furrowed.

For a few awkward moments, he just looked at her, unsure as to what to say. He's never been good at this, sure the other Five was a bit of a sweet talker much to his surprise, but that wasn't him. He'd rather put his hand in a blender before he did something as sappy as sweet-talking.

Opening his mouth to say something, he wasn't sure what, Vanya shook her head and turned on the spot.

"I'll tell Ben to come check on you next time," Vanya grumbled making her way to the door.

Five tensed.

Before she could leave, and before he even knew it, he extended his arm and grabbed her hand.

Vanya froze, not turning to look at him. He himself wasn't sure what he was doing.

"Stay," he mumbled, his hold on her hand soft, and yet his muscles were tense, afraid she might say no.

When Vanya didn't say anything, and just stayed on the same spot, he took a step closer.

Fuck the timeline, or whatever the hell had happened to it. Or if Vanya one day returned. He could figure it all out eventually. Whatever he had to do, so long as she didn't leave.

"Please."

* * *

"Fixing things between us had been very difficult, and it took a while but after that whole ordeal things changed," Five explained. "Before it was just a simple, teenage crush, but it grew into more."

Vanya opened and closed her mouth, she wasn't sure what to say. Five hadn't used her like she thought, in fact, he wanted to get away from her but failed in the end. She was still a little angry that he completely forgot the fact that she might come back someday, but her anger was overlooked by the fact that her reality's Five had fallen in love with this reality's Vanya. Everything was overshadowed by that, as she didn't know what to think of it. She wanted to know more, and at the same time, she was incredibly jealous of this reality's Vanya, the one that got to grow up with Five and even fall in love with her reality's Five. However, a big part of her felt guilty, guilty that she had somehow taken that away from Five, taken the person that he loved.

"You really loved her?" She asked softly, unsure, dreading the answer.

She didn't need him to say it. She could see it in his eyes, the way he kept gazing at his ring, the way he looked at her with longing, but she knew it wasn't for her. It was a longing for the woman that had been her, a Vanya she clearly wasn't and could never be.

The space between his brows creased, his jaw clenched and he took a deep breath.

"Yes," he answered just as softly, so exposed, making her take a deep breath only to stop halfway when he continued to speak. "I love you."

Vanya froze, her breath hitched as her mind crashed.

How could Five possibly say something like that? How could he say he stilled loved her when she's not the same woman? She's not the illustrious Number Seven, former member of the Umbrella Academy. She's not a famous superhero, beloved by all. She's not the woman he's been with for fourteen years, much less the one he fell in love with. Who she is, is the person that destroyed the world in her reality, nothing more.

Chest rising up and down, Vanya shook her head. This was all just too much.

"Five…" she trailed off and took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm not her. I'm not the woman you fell in love wi-"

Before she could finish, Five placed his hand on her hand and she froze at the contact. His hand was so warm.

"Vanya." His brows furrowed as he gazed at her. "It doesn't matter if it's you from this reality or the other one. You're still the woman I fell in love with."

Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened but he didn't give her the chance to say anything as he spoke again, leaning forward on his seat so he could place both his hands on top of hers.

"There might be some difference between the two of you, but inside you are still you. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you otherwise."

There was a tense silence between them.

Overwhelmed, Vanya blinked and a defence mechanism kicked in before she even realized it.

Taking a deep breath, Vanya slipped her hands from under his, instantly craving the contact again, but shutting down her thoughts. She couldn't begin to process what he just said. She needed to change the subject.

"So if you loved her so much, then how come it took you fourteen years to propose?"

Five took a few seconds to answer, one of his hands clenched and unclenched but otherwise seemed completely unfazed.

"You sound a little disappointed," he smirked, but she knew it was forced, he knew she was changing the subject but said nothing of it.

Five leaned back on his seat and gestured at her.

"I waited because I knew there was a chance that you might return, and I didn't want you to arrive in this reality only to find yourself tied to me," Five sighed. "However, when you never came I thought you didn't make it."

"So when did you propose?" She asked, keeping her head blank.

"Two months ago," he answered, tapping his finger against the table.

"And children?" She asked, knowing it was something this reality's Vanya wanted from what Allison told her.

Five cocked his head, and draped his arm over the backrest.

"You wanted children," he answered nonchalantly, and she raised a brow.

"You don't?"

For the hundredth time, Five sighed.

"Not at first, but then I saw how much it mattered to you and I coaxed up to the idea."

Vanya nodded when she thought about another question she had wanted to ask, and now she was a little unwilling to hear the answer to.

"This morning, why did you think I was pregnant?" She asked softly, scared.

For a long second, Five looked at her awkwardly, his jaws clenched and she tensed.

"I didn't think, I know."

That had her reeling, as she felt like her heart had stopped.

"What?" Her voice far too soft compared to how shocked she was.

Five pushed his hair back again, his throat bobbed and he took a deep breath before he explained.

"A few days ago you said you had changed your mind about something, but never told me what. At the time I thought it was about the wedding, but this morning I realized that you had changed your mind about waiting until after the wedding to have children."

Everything seemed to stop around her as her blood pumped faster, and she froze for a few seconds. Thankfully, before she could have a full-blown panic attack, her defence mechanism kicked in again.

"I'm not pregnant," Vanya shook her head and grinned nervously. "I was just nervous about waking up to you half-naked, and-"

Five tilted his head down and gave her an are-you-sure? look, and Vanya felt all the blood leave her face, defence mechanism crumbling to pieces as she began to hyperventilate.

There was no way he was right, she couldn't be pregnant, she just couldn't, she-

But then again it explained why she was so dizzy and sick, why she still felt dizzy.

Breathing getting faster and faster, her vision began to become hazy.

Seeming to realize her state of panic, Five frowned and leaned forward, placing his hands on top of hers, which only made her jump slightly on the spot, but he didn't take his hand away.

"Vanya, cal-"

"Breaking news!" the Tv on the wall suddenly boomed, prompting them both to look at it. Panic left her somewhat as she clung to the distraction until the anchorman spoke and her panic returned tenfold.

"Eccentric billionaire, Reginald Hargreeves is dead…."

The donut shop fell silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just leave this here...


	7. Did you hear the news?

She and Five kept staring at the Tv dumbly as the anchorman continued to speak about their father's death, even though she barely heard a word he said, simply watching his mouth opening and closing.

Their father was dead? Again? How could that be, she thought this reality was different, and yet this was so surreal, like watching a film on replay. Sure, she wasn't exactly saddened by the news. But while there was no love lost between her and her father, and something told her this reality's Vanya didn't have a very strong bond with him either, it was still a shock to hear that he was dead. And she wasn't the only one who thought that way.

Beside her, Five had paled considerably, his jaw clenched as he continued to stare at the Tv, showing another emotion than shock. His reaction only worried her further. However, before she could dwell too long on it, the doors to the donut shop swung open, snapping them out of their shock.

"Did you guys hear the news?" Asked Ben, running towards them, his brows knit together.

"Dad's dead, again!" Shouted Klaus, following closely behind Ben with Allison who looked just as shocked. Clearly, none of them were expecting this.

Snapping out of his own shock, Five brows bumped together in a scowl, his full irritation directed at Klaus.

"Shut up you idiot!"

Five looked around the donut shop, and they all followed his example.

Vanya's breath caught for a second when she noticed all the people in the donut shop had put their newspapers down, forgotten. When she had arrived they hadn't realized who she was, but now that they did they were staring at her and Five with surprise, making her cheeks redden a little. It was worse that they weren't the only ones staring at them either, outside Vanya noticed a few people that were walking on the sidewalk had stopped to look inside the coffee shop, the expensive cars parked outside the rundown shop no doubt having had caught their attention.

Klaus simply shrugged, not at all fazed.

"Yeah well, you weren't exactly subtle when you came in, you entered the damn place like you were some cowboy in one of those old wes-"

Before he could finish Five shook his head, exasperated and he gestured at her.

"We need to go," he grumbled, his voice low.

Five exited the booth and took his blazer from the coat rack.

For a few seconds, Vanya remained seated, unsure if she could stand on her own two feet at this point. However, when Five slipped his blazer on with unnecessary force, as he glared at Klaus she decided to give it a try before he killed him.

Sliding out of the booth, she sighed softly in relief when she could support herself, albeit a little shaky due to the lack of food and all the shocking news, not wanting to accept any other explanation.

When she shook a little on the spot, Five pulled his attention away from Klaus to look at her, worry clear in his eyes. However, he didn't offer her a hand, even though she could tell he wanted to, so he settled in staying close to her.

"Where are we going?" Asked Ben, as Five led them all out of the coffee shop, while she tried her best to keep up.

"Where else?" He asked, opening the door of the coffee shop. "Back to the academy."

Vanya almost skipped a step when she heard what Five said.

They were going back to the academy? Of course, they had all gone there when dad died in their reality, but given what she did to it in her reality, she wasn't sure how she felt about seeing her old home again, not to mention the people in it. Could she face mom? What about- oh god, what about Pogo? She had killed him, and though he was probably very much alive in this reality, that doesn't erase what she did. How could she possibly look him in the eyes?

She closed her eyes for a long second and inhaled a shaky breath to steady herself.

As they exited the coffee shop, the few people that were outside looking into the donut shop, as well as those walking to their destination all turned to look at them, their eyes instantly widening.

"Holy shit, it's Number Seven!" One man exclaimed, pointing at her.

Vanya froze.

Not understanding the concept of privacy, the fans all took out their phones and started to take pictures of them, while a few quickly made their way towards her which only made her panic more.

Five growled softly, very clearly annoyed but not at all surprised or fazed by the attention.

Before the fans could reach them Five reached inside her pant pocket and took out the car key, glaring at the crowd which made them stop briefly.

Turning on the spot, Five walked around the car and opened her door first, holding it for her. Vanya didn't need to be told twice, as she quickly slipped into the passenger seat. As soon as she was inside, Five closed the door a little too hard, making her jump a little, even though she knew he wasn't mad at her, just at the entire situation.

Not needing to walk around the car, or doors for that matter, Five spatial jumped inside, taking his seat on the driver's seat.

"Whoa!" The people outside the car awed, bringing their phones up to take pictures of them with their phones.

Overwhelmed, Vanya looked from out one window to the other, frozen on the spot. She always craved some attention as a kid, and who could blame her? After being raised among famous, powerful siblings, but this was a bit much. These people didn't know what personal space and privacy meant, they simply crowded their car and continued to take pictures, the flash from a few of them making her already dizzy state worse. Not to mention the countless, loud questions they were making.

How did Allison live like this?

Thinking about her sister, Vanya turned her head and peered through the crowd of people to look at Allison's and Ben's car, worried. However, when she noticed they were all safely inside their cars, a few people crowding outside Allison's, she sighed.

Five put on his seatbelt and she followed his example when the screen on the dashboard flashed and beeped with an incoming call.

_Ben_

For a second Vanya thought he would ignore the call, but then Five leaned forward and pressed a button. Ben's voice boomed around the car.

" _Five, you're forgetting Diego and Luther. What if they show up and we're not here?"_

Vanya frowned, concentrating on Ben's voice rather than the crowd outside. She had forgotten about Luther and Diego, the only missing members and she began to worry too. What if they get here and they aren't here? What if they're just like her and they just arrived? How will the make sense of this world? Unfortunately, Five didn't seem to share their concern.

"We don't have time to sit and wait for them." Five pressed the button for the ignition and the car came to life with a deep growl. "And besides, if they got half a brain they'll go to the academy instead."

Vanya wanted to argue that maybe they should wait a little when Klaus spoke over the line.

" _Ha! bold of you to assume they got half a brain!" Klaus barked._

Five didn't say anything more on the matter as he pushed a button and ended the call. With that, he drove out of the parking lot, not even honking the horn as he forced the crowd surrounding their car to move out of the way. For a second Vanya thought the crowd would get mad, outraged that he almost ran them over but they simply moved out of the way and kept taking pictures like nothing happened.

Eyes fixed on the road, he drove the car into the city streets and headed to the academy. An awkward silence befell the car as neither of them spoke. She wished then that she had gone with Allison or Ben instead, anything would be a lot better than the stifling awkward air between them.

Trying her best to distract herself with the scenery, not wanting to think about anything that happened inside the donut shop lest she lose what little sanity she had left, she thought about what she just saw.

Allison had said that she was famous due to her superhero work, something she didn't just do locally but internationally, but she never thought it would be to the level that people instantly recognized her on the streets. It was so off-putting, she wondered how Five dealt with it. He's a physicist at a university, so his fame must make his work exceedingly difficult. Of course, he has the unique ability to easily slip away, so there's that.

When her stomach gave out a very loud growl, she was snapped out of her thoughts

Vanya blushed. Beside her, Five gave her a sideways glance.

"What was the last thing you ate?" He asked.

Vanya shifted on her seat, feeling a little self-conscious. For a second she considered lying but knew Five would pick it up. He always could tell when she was lying, and vice versa, she doubted that's changed.

"A chocolate donut," she answered, almost guiltily.

Five inhaled loudly, and she tensed.

For a long few seconds she waited for him to reprimand her for being so careless, especially when she could be pregn- no wait, she didn't want to think about that. Thankfully he didn't, but he certainly thought it, as she caught the way his jaw clenched and unclenched in the corner of her eye.

"When we get to the academy I'll ask mom to make you a decent meal."

Vanya didn't say anything, she simply nodded and turned to face him. Her brows instantly creased.

Five's entire body was tense like a bow, his knuckles white as he gripped the wheel tightly, his jaw clenched as he glared at the road ahead, deep in thought. The news that their father's death shocked her, but clearly it affected him more than it did her, which made her wonder…

Eyes suddenly widening, she felt her heart skip a beat as she realized what was no doubt in Five's mind.

"Five?" She said his name softly, not wanting to startle him, and because she herself was now in shock. She was praying to any god up there that she was wrong.

Five didn't turn to look at her, keeping his eyes fixed on the road, not showing any signs of having heard her. Still, Vanya decided to ask her question.

"If dad's dead, does that mean the apocalypse is going to happen here too?" She asked even more softly.

As soon as the word apocalypse came out of her mouth, Five's grip on the steering wheel tightened to a point she thought he might break it in half.

It was a few long seconds later that he spoke.

"No," he answered with a stern voice, and she knew he was lying.

Shifting on the spot so she could face him properly, she looked at the hard-line on his face. She suspected the apocalypse must be a sensitive topic for him, having spent all those years on plotting ways to stop it, only to fail, all because of her. It made her both guilty and apprehensive. What if it's her fault again? He had to think the same thing.

"But-"

"Vanya," he warned, the way he hissed her name had her shut her mouth instantly.

Looking at his cold eyes, the ones that wouldn't even look at her, she knew this wasn't the Five from earlier, the one that was looking at her awkwardly, the one that confessed that he still loved her. She didn't understand how that was possible, convinced that he was confusing the other Vanya with her. But regardless, the Five seating beside her wasn't that Five. This was the Five from her reality, the one that was dead set on stopping the apocalypse, the one that wasn't going to let anything get in his way.

She turned attention back to her window. She seriously didn't want to think about the apocalypse, so her mind unwillingly went back to the Five from the donut shop.

He said his version of Five had been with this reality's Vanya for nine years, that was a long time, at least for her it was. But the oddest part for her was that he loved that Vanya, truly loved her and that apparently that love extended to her, claiming that they are both the same person. But that made absolutely no sense to her. Five barely even knew her, the last time they truly interacted with each other had been seventeen years ago for her, before he disappeared. The only times they spoke in her reality of two thousand and nineteen had been when he commended her autobiography, and when he told her about the apocalypse, going to her before anyone else. There was also the fact that he treated her differently than anyone else, with gentleness and patience, he even stayed in her apartment until she went to sleep, something Five wouldn't do with anyone else. Could it be that his feelings go back before getting stuck in this reality? That would make sense, but love? He must be confused on that end. And as if that wasn't enough, he claims that she's preg-

Vanya closed her eyes and kept them closed for a few seconds before re-opening them.

She couldn't believe she was pregnant, there was no way, despite what Five said. Until she did a test and she saw it with her own two eyes, she wasn't going to accept it.

That was when a small, traitorous voice spoke in her head. _But what if she was, what was she going to do?_

She tensed as she looked down at her belly, and pressed her hand on it, a little shocked to feel the firm muscles there _._ But that shock quickly left her as she wondered if she indeed had a living being growing inside her, something that was part hers part Five's. If she was, she really didn't know what to think about that, what she would do.

Seeming to notice where her attention was, Five sighed and some of the tension left his body.

"I'm sorry."

Vanya instantly balked and quickly removed her hand from her belly.

Did she just heard right? Did she just heard Five say he's sorry? _The_ Five? Before she could really figure out if she heard right, he continued.

"This is all very strange and confusing for you, I know. I went through the same thing. Although for you it's worse because you're…." Five trailed off, and she was thankful he did. If he said it, it would make it too real. "Once we know what's going on we'll go to a doctor and figure everything out, alright?"

Vanya didn't answer. She clenched her jaw and looked down at her hands. The word **we** kept repeating in her mind.

Going to the doctor to get a check-up, like a couple.

At that moment, she couldn't help but wonder how things would have been different for Five is she had never arrived in this reality. How reality's Vanya would have woken up in the morning and learned that she was pregnant, how she would have excitedly told Five the news. They both would have been so excited, so happy. They would have gone to the doctor, and from there they would have made all the preparations for a baby. That thought should have made her happy, but instead, it made her so sad, not for herself but for Five. He could have had all that, a family, but instead he's stuck with her, a woman he still claims to love but she knows it's probably out of denial.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to change the conversation to something safer, before she lost it.

"So, how do we have this much money?" She asked, gesturing around them.

Five also seemed to like the change of topic as he lost some of the tension in his shoulders.

"As I said before, I made a few investments."

Oh yes, the investments the made by using his knowledge of the future, she had hoped there was more to it than that, that this reality's Vanya had contributed to their wealth, that she didn't simply live off of him.

"However, a lot of it is thanks to you," he added, eyes still on the road.

Vanya quirked up a little, curious once more. So she did have a profession that granted her this wealth then? That made her happy for this reality's Vanya. She was independent, and successful, another difference between them. Honestly, the more he heard about this Vanya, the more different they both seemed. But at the same time, it made her wonder if this is what her life would have been like if things had been different.

"When the team disbanded, you continued your whole _superhero_ work. For a good few years, you just did it out of the _goodness of your own heart."_ Five rolled his eyes at that. "But then I insisted that you should at least receive something, a commission, anything. You're putting your life on the line, might as well get paid for it." Five huffed, clearly this was a heavily debated topic between the two.

"So I get commissions for my hero work?"

"No, I get it for you because you're too nice to do it." He tapped his finger against the wheel, losing most of the tension in his body as he forgot more and more about the apocalypse. "Of course I don't do it for most international missions, only when I know the country can afford it as well as the situation."

Vanya nodded. She guessed that made sense. Still, it didn't sit well with her, charging people for helping them? Sure any civil servant does it, but it still didn't seem right.

Five cocked his head slightly, and spoke again.

"There's also all the publicity, as well as your work at the Icarus theatre."

Vanya nearly choked on air when she heard the name, Icarus.

"I'm a violinist here too?"

Five nodded again.

"Yes, although you started playing the violin at a much older age. Dad didn't want you to be distracted by anything," he said the last sentence with a slight hiss.

Vanya's brows shot up, surprised.

"Am I the first chair?"

He nodded.

"Seeing as you never took the pills you became a musical prodigy, which makes sense given your powers," Five explained. "And due to your fame, every time there's a concert the seats are almost instantly sold out as soon as they become available, not to mention the effect your music has on people."

Vanya cocked a brow.

"Effects?"

Five nodded.

"It's hard to explain but your music affects people's emotions, makes them feel what you want them to feel. Again, given your powers, it's not surprising. But I guess, given what's happened, you'll have to cancel all future concerts."

Wait, what?

Vanya frowned and opened her mouth to ask why she needed to cancel when Five spoke again.

"Which reminds me, I better cancel our visit to the sick kid's hospital next week."

That had her eyes widening, not surprised that this reality's Vanya visited kids in hospitals, almost every celebrity did. What shocked her is that five was going to cancel their visit like it was no big deal. Those kids were counting on them to be there, they couldn't just cancel. She had no idea who she was, didn't have the faintest idea how to be a celebrity or hero, or whatever, but she couldn't just cancel.

"What, why?"

Five simply shrugged.

"What do you mean why? You said it yourself, you aren't the Vanya of this reality, you're not a superhero."

"Yea but, those kids are expecting us, we can't just cancel on them."

Five didn't say anything on the matter, however, the edges of his lips quirked up a little for a second, making her wonder if she had imagined it. It also made her feel like she had somehow just proved something to him but didn't know what.

The rest of the ride to the academy was relatively silent as Five concentrated on the road and she looked out the window, while occasionally turning to look at him. She noticed that the closer they got to the academy, the more he seemed to tense again, the somewhat easy-going conversation they had before forgotten as he slipped back to the way he was before.

Once they made it to the academy, Vanya took a deep breath when she saw it, completely intact. Five parked in the garage, before he turned off the car two others joined them, Ben and Allison.

Vanya quickly got out of the car, wobbling a little from her dizziness that was soon turning into a headache. She needed to eat something.

When Five got out of the car he quickly made his way to her but kept his distance, something she was again thankful for.

"Are you alright?" Asked Ben, locking his car, an expensive-looking model, no shock there seeing as he's a neurosurgeon.

Vanya gave him a tight-lipped smile, something she knew he didn't believe. She knew she must look like she felt. Pale and sweaty. Damn, she needed a moment to breathe.

Five didn't believe her either as he stepped closer to her but not close enough to touch, clearly worried. However, when they all turned to look at the building they all forgot about her state.

For a long few seconds, the five of them stood outside the academy, looking up at the large building looming over them, memories of their terrible childhood, of their father's torment flashing before their eyes. No one wanted to take the first step.

"I guess we should go inside," Allison finally broke the silence, snapping everyone out of their shock.

Almost as a line, they walked into the academy. Allison went in first, followed by Ben, then she and Five, at the end was Klaus who at one point had lit a cigarette.

The first thing that came to her was the old musty smell, followed by the wooden smell old houses have. It made her dizzier. Once inside she shrank slightly in on herself. As always, being inside the old academy made her feel so claustrophobic, almost as if the walls were weighing on her, closing in around her, it was a terrible feeling, made worse by the memory of her blowing it all to pieces with just a simple thought.

"Welcome back," Ben smirked, trying to lighten things a bit, probably knowing what she was thinking.

Klaus inhaled the last drag of his cigarette and flicked it to the side before entering the academy.

"Try not to blow it to pieces this time eh?"

"Klaus," Allison reprimanded, rolling her eyes when Klaus simply shrugged, beside her Five glared at him.

That made Vanya relax a little as she smirked, maybe things won't be the same this time a-

"Blow up what?" Asked a very familiar voice behind them.

Everyone tensed.

Slowly all of them turned on the spot, their eyes widening when they landed on Diego standing by the doorway.

He was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing in her reality, black, stealth holster vest, black pants and a black turtleneck sweater. His hair was cut short, and spiky, and with a short stubble. Much like Klaus and Allison, he looked exactly the same, and she found it oddly comforting.

Vanya lost some of the tension in her shoulders, however when Diego's eyes landed on her and he scoffed and shook his head, making what she could only explain as a disgusted expression, she tensed again.

"Oh great, the _sweethearts_ are here too, wonderful," Diego walked inside the academy, walking around them, barely looking at any of them, something that completely confused her.

When she saw Ben, Klaus, Allison and Five they had all been shocked to see each other. Why was Diego acting like nothing was out of the or-

When the realization hit her, her brows shot up. Could it be that this Diego is not from their reality? That he hasn't arrived yet?

"Aren't you supposed to be handing out autographs or something? Or saving a cat from a tree while smiling at the camera?" Diego asked derisively.

Five, who had been looking at Diego in confusion quickly hardened his expression into one of contempt. He no doubt knew that this Diego wasn't their Diego, and he didn't have the patience to deal with him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in jail for interfering on a case again?" Five's lip pulled up to show off a flash of fang."I mean, I heard they even have a cell with your name on it and everything, but I guess it makes sense. That cell is a better place to sleep than that shithole you call home," he sneered.

Diego froze on his way up the stairs and turned his head to look over his shoulder to glare at Five. For a second she thought he would square up to him but then he scoffed and walked away.

Vanya exhaled a breath she hadn't known she was holding. They've only been back here for less than a minute, she didn't want any of them to start arguing or fighting. Not to mention the clear contempt Diego had for her. It wasn't that odd, he treated her the same way in her reality but there it made sense, he was angry at her for what she had written, but here? She doubted this reality's Vanya had written an autobiography.

"So Diego doesn't remember anything and is still the same lovable brother," Allison said, not sounding at all surprised.

Five shook his head and scoffed, his eyes finally leaving the space Diego had stood in. When he faced them he opened his mouth to speak, when Klaus suddenly turned and walked away without a word.

"Where are you going?" Asked Five, his eyes following him as Klaus made his way up the staircase.

"I need to take care of something!" Klaus responded, not turning to look at them as he spoke.

Five rolled his eyes, clearly losing the little amount of patience he had left.

"We need to stick together Klaus. If dad's dead then he killed himself for a reason!"

Vanya clenched her jaw. So Five did think there was something odd about all this. Dad wouldn't just die for nothing, she doubted he could even die of old age. He would just outlive them all just to have the last laugh. So if he was dead, it had to be for a reason and that made her tense.

"That's cool and all, but I need to take a shit. I mean you can all come with me to the washroom if you want, I won't judge," Klaus responded.

Five shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose but didn't say anything as Klaus disappeared.

Lowering his hand he turned to face them.

"I guess we should move to the-"

"Actually, I think I should go check on Luther. If Diego's here and doesn't remember anything, then neither might he," Allison said worriedly, giving him an apologetic smile.

Five looked at her in disbelief but she didn't wait for him to say anything as she ran up the stairs to look for Luther.

For a few seconds, Five looked up at the stairs, before he shook his head and turned to face them, exasperation clear in his eyes.

"Fine, the three of us always were the brains of this fucking family anyways."

Ben's lips thinned, and Five looked at him in disbelief.

"Seriously?"

Ben shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yea, sorry but I actually need to talk to Vanya about -er-" Ben coughed, and Vanya tensed and blushed when she realized what it was that he wanted to talk about. He is a doctor after all, maybe not that kind of doctor but still.

Five didn't need further clarification as he sighed, clearly exasperated but he didn't argue, in fact, his eyes softened a little.

"Alright," he looked at her for a brief second, his expression unreadable and then back at Ben. "I'll go look for mom so she can make something for Vanya to eat, but after you're done talking come to the kitchen."

They both nodded.

With that Five spatial jumped, giving her one final look as he left and she gave out a deep breath, finally able to breathe properly now that he was gone. However, when she remembered what Ben probably wanted to talk about, she tensed again.

Vanya looked down at her shoes, her cheeks reddening.

"Ben...I'm really not up for talking about…" she trailed off.

"Don't worry, I'm not actually going to talk about that, but as a doctor, I will say that you should do a test and go get checked up, but other than that, it's none of my business."

Her head snapped up, and she looked at him, a frown in her face, although she was a little relieved.

"So what did you want to talk about?" She asked, confused.

Ben shrugged and gave her a soft smile.

"Nothing really, I just wanted to show you around."

Vanya cocked her head, even more confused.

"Why? I grew up here too remember."

"I know, but there's a lot of things that are different, trust me. And besides." He turned to look at her, and his brows knit together slightly. "I know everything must be so overwhelming, especially with _him._ "

Ben didn't stick around to see her shocked reaction, as he walked away and she quickly regathered herself and followed him. Glad that Ben hadn't said anything further on the matter, and yet Vanya knew what he meant. Ben knew how shocked and confused she was with Five around, how suffocating it was, that she needed a moment away from him so she could breathe.

Vanya smiled fondly, it's good to see Ben is still the nice, understanding brother that she remembered.

"What?" He asked when he caught her staring at him.

Vanya shook her head.

"Nothing, I just can't believe I'm talking to you, that's all."

Ben smiled widely and his eyes softened but didn't say anything, so she continued to talk.

"What was it like? Coming back to life?"

"Honestly?" Ben cocked a brow. "Really weird," he chuckled.

Vanya smiled, she could only imagine. She thought she had it tough, but Ben went from being dead to being alive so she clearly didn't have it as bad as she thought.

"But the weirdest thing was this new world Klaus and I ended up in."

Vanya cocked her head, curious about Ben's experience in this strange world. She had heard all about Allisons and Five's, but not Ben's. All she knew was that he had arrived in two thousand and two, in the body of his thirteen-year-old self, but other than that, nothing.

"You see, when Klaus and I got here we were on our way to one of our usual training sessions, nothing strange about that. Until we got to the training hall and you were there, training with your powers."

Vanya's brows shot up. Hearing that she had been training with them shouldn't be so surprising, not with the knowledge that she had been a member of the umbrella academy in this reality. However, it still was surprising. How many times did she envy them whenever they went to their training sessions? Leaving her behind.

"I was training with you guys?"

Ben formed his lips into a firm line.

"Yea...well, kind of."

Ben suddenly stopped, and she followed suit, standing outside the sitting room.

"Look, Vanya." Ben knit his brows together, his smile slipping from his lips and for the hundredth time that day, she worried about what she was going to hear next. "I know that so far this reality's Vanya's life seems so perfect and all, but I just want to warn you that, that wasn't always the case."

Vanya stiffened.

"What'd you mean?"

Ben sighed and looked almost sad which worried her further.

"Your childhood here, it was tough Vanya, maybe tougher than the one in our reality. When we arrived we wanted to help you, as we should have in the other reality, but the more we tried to help the worse it got."

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other without saying a word. In her head, she kept hearing every belittling statement their father had made about her all throughout her childhood. She remembered how he locked her up and took her powers away from her, making her think she was ordinary by drugging her. How he excluded her from everything, made her feel like an outcast among her own family and how he would encourage their siblings to do the same. How he destroyed her life before it had even truly begun.

Anger burned hot inside her. Whatever this Vanya went through, it couldn't have been worse.

"Come on, it can't possibly be that bad right?" She tried to sound amused, easygoing to lighten the mood but her voice came out far too soft.

Ben didn't respond, he simply gave her a forced smile and led her into the sitting room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's Diego! He's actually my third favourite character, so I'm happy he's finally in the picture! I know some of you were intrigued by Diego's caveman look, but that was, unfortunately, a phase in 2010, hahaha, sorry guys. But hey, at least it seems like we're going to find out about Vanya's childhood so... 
> 
> Before I go, I just want to say that you guys shouldn't judge this reality's Vanya too quickly. You guys have only seen snippets of her, there's still a lot you don't know! 
> 
> As always, thanks to everyone for commenting and liking this story, it really does make my day to read and respond to everyone's wonderful comments! Thank you!


	8. New memories

Vanya stood frozen on the spot, she gaped as she stared at the portrait on the mantelpiece.

In her reality, after Five had run out of the academy and never came back, their father had a portrait of him painted. To an outsider, it would seem like a way to honour the member they lost, but they all knew better. Their father didn't feel any grief for the loss of Five. No, he put the painting there to remind them all what happens when they defied him, she guessed something similar was at work here.

The portrait on the mantelpiece wasn't of Five, but of her when she was around the age of sixteen she guessed. She was wearing the Umbrella Academy uniform but no domino mask. Unlike Five's lazy posture on his portrait, her's was straight and oozing confidence as she looked ahead, almost at the sky, a proud smile on her lips.

Stunned, she kept staring at the portrait half wondering if she was seeing correctly.

"A little unsettling isn't it?" Ben asked, his voice coming out a little amused.

Vanya swallowed thickly and nodded, a brow cocked as she turned to face him.

"Yea, dad had it made after one of your very successful missions."

"One of my successful missions?" She asked as if tasting the word _mission_ in her mouth.

"Well, after the public saw how powerful you were and he saw your competence, dad started to send you on missions on your own."

She cocked her head.

"But dad never did that, he always used to send all of you on missions."

Ben nodded in agreement.

"And that didn't change, he just made an exception with you and sometimes Five." He shrugged. "It made sense, with how powerful you are we only got in your way a lot of the time, but you can imagine Luther and Diego's reaction."

"I take it they didn't like it," she guessed.

Ben snorted not from arrogance, but amusement.

"That's an understatement."

The space between her brows creased.

So Diego and Luther were jealous of her, at least they were when they were kids. She honestly should feel a little bad, but she couldn't help but feel a little happy which made her feel worse. This wasn't a competition to see who had dad's attention, who he favoured the most, they're not kids anymore. Still, after spending thirty years of being treated as less than them made her feel a little pleased that they were living in her shadow.

' _I'm not a kid anymore,'_ she reminded herself.

"Is that why this reality's Vanya and Diego don't get along?" She asked, remembering how Diego had been so derisive of her.

Ben sighed, the kind of sigh one made when they were about to give a long story.

"Sort of," Ben led her further into the sitting room, where the large glass cases lined the walls.

Stopping in front of one he pointed at a magazine and Vanya's eyes widened. It wasn't a magazine from one of the most popular publishers she didn't recognize the name of the magazine, but that didn't matter, what mattered was what was on the front page. It was a picture of Diego, around the age of fifteen, his cheeks red and head down as he tried to avoid the camera.

_Number Two, the most useless member of the Umbrella Academy._

Before she could ask, Ben explained.

"On a mission, he threw a knife to stop some robber. You hadn't noticed so you used your powers too, and sent his knife flying the other way. Everyone saw it." Ben's lips thinned as he looked at the magazine with sadness as he recalled the memory. "The public thought it was him who missed."

Vanya pulled her brows into a frown. That was terrible. She wanted Diego to feel a little bit of what she felt, always wanted it, but to say he's useless and not just the public but in their own family? After all, there was a reason why their father kept the magazine, no doubt to remind Diego of the incident that wasn't even his fault.

"After that, everyone started to question why Diego was a member of the team when his powers aren't as impressive," Ben let out a deep sigh. "It was difficult for him, and as you can see he never quite let it go."

It hadn't been her that had done that to Diego, but it still made her feel guilty. She could just see it in her head, fifteen-year-old Diego standing before their father, shrinking on himself as he reprimanded him. He no doubts would have tried to explain that it hadn't been his fault, but their father wouldn't have cared. _The details don't matter Number Two, only the outcome,_ that's what their father would no doubt have said.

"Did I at least apologize?" She asked softly, really hoping that she did. If she didn't then she was going to find him and apologize, even if she isn't that Vanya, someone can't just do something like that and not say anything.

Ben nodded.

"Yea, but you know Diego. He was convinced you did it on purpose."

Vanya exhaled softly. At least she apologized, but maybe she should still try to apologize again, try to fix their relationship. Diego is still her brother, even if he's from another reality.

Leading her away from the glass casing, they walked to the wall containing their team portrait. Her eyes instantly landed on a very familiar portrait, one she had stared at for what felt like hours in the past, envying her siblings as they all seemed to sneer at her in oil painting form. All six of her siblings were in the portrait, the inaugural class.

Vanya couldn't help but sneer inwardly until she turned her head and her eyes landed on another portrait. Her back instantly stiffened.

This portrait, unlike the other, was different from the one she was used to. Instead six of them, there were now seven of them. She was present in this portrait, standing beside Ben, smiling widely, puffing out her chest. The others, however, who had been smiling proudly on the previous portrait, now had a forced smile on their lips, but she barely looked at them. Her eyes were focused on the younger version of her, staring at the domino mask she had been wearing almost in a trance when she felt her conscience being pulled somewhere else.

* * *

February 4th, 2002

She was so tired, so incredibly tired, she just wanted to go back to her...room? If one could call it that. The point was that she wanted to lie down. Her bones hurt, her muscles couldn't take anymore, if she took another step she feared she might fall to her knees. And yet, she looked up from the landing of the stairs, looking expectantly at their father alongside her siblings. Their father, who was holding a stopwatch in one hand, and a whistle on the other.

Around her, her siblings shifted from side to side, antsy to start the exercise, to prove themselves. Fueled by their excitement, she readied herself when their father raised the whistle to his mouth. When the sharp sound came, she froze for a second, her necks standing on end, surprised gripped her as always whenever she heard such a loud sound.

Before she knew it, a few of her siblings pushed her out of the way as they bumped against each other and raced up the stairs, determined to come first.

Thankfully, before they could leave her in the dust she forced her body to move. She grit her teeth from pain when her knees instantly protested, her muscles screaming for her to stop but still forced them to keep up, and put everything she had left inside her to pass Klaus, then Allison.

She kept her head down, taking deep breaths that made her throat burn. When she heard the familiar sound of Five's spatial jump, she finally raised her head to notice that he was now in the lead and she smiled.

"That's not fair, Five cheated!" Diego barked.

"He adapted," their father barked back.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, crowding their father, they all panted softly, except for her, who was panting heavily, out of breath. It wasn't that the exercise was difficult, it was nothing compared to her usual runs, but after had spent the entire day at the gym and having missed breakfast for failing yet another test, her body just couldn't take anymore. Well, at least she didn't finish last.

When their father looked up from his clipboard, he quickly tucked it back under his arm and he proceeded to land his eyes on her with a scowl.

"Pitiful Number Seven!"

Around her, her siblings stiffened, none of them met their father's eyes as he reprimanded her, the second time today.

Vanya lowered her head, her attention on her shoes, taking a deep breath as she awaited her punishment, not at all surprised. Unfortunately for her, lowering her head had been the wrong move.

"Look at people in the eyes when you're being spoken to Number Seven!" Their father barked again, making her jump a little on the spot as she looked up at him, eyes wide, scared but he didn't seem to care or notice as he kept scowling at her. "Always maintain eye contact Number Seven."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, shrinking in on herself when their father's nose flared.

"Apologies won't cut it. If you fail at a mission and get someone killed, do you think apologizing will make it all better?" He asked, his question asked to them all.

Her siblings, including her, shook their heads.

"Speak!"

"No sir," they all mumbled.

Their father nodded and raised his chin, looking down at them.

"Then let this be a lesson." His father turned his attention back to her once more. "As punishment for your incompetence number Seven, you will race up and down the stairs for another hour."

Vanya simply nodded, not arguing. Her father was right, she should have done better, should have come first.

As their father dismissed all her siblings, she stayed behind, catching Five's sideways glance, the outside corner of his brows pulled down into a worried expression before he left.

As she watched them go, she felt a pang of jealousy and anger. Her siblings had the remainder of the day off, able to do as they pleased while she was stuck here, not that she would have been able to with them otherwise. That meant that Five's promise to visit her would have to be broken. Earlier in the day, as they sparred against each other in their fighting lesson, he had told her that he would sneak into her room in the basement. Apparently, he had managed to steal some chocolate from some store and wanted to share it with her after their training session, but it seems that wasn't going to happen.

"Pay attention Number Seven, or you'll be here for another hour."

Vanya tore her eyes away from the spot her siblings had left from, and turned her attention back to her father, waiting for the whistle. She was determined to do better this time.

* * *

Vanya took in large gulps of air and pressed her hands to her head, stumbling back several shaky steps. She probably would have fallen back were it not for Ben who placed a hand on her shoulder and supported her

What had that been?

"It's alright, you're alright," Ben assured softly.

"W-what was that?" She whispered, her hands shaking,

Ben led her to the couch, supporting most of her weight.

"Those were your memories from this reality," he explained, laying her down on the couch. Memories?

Her eyes followed him as he went to the bar on the other end of the room. "I knew being back here would trigger them, so I thought it best that you'd be in a controlled environment when they do."

Oh yes, the memories, she had forgotten all about that.

Vanya pressed her fingers against her temple and groaned when her head began to pound. The whole experience was so odd, seeing a memory she remembered from her own childhood but completely changed, but it wasn't just that, it was almost like they became a part of her, like a piece of a puzzle fitting into place. It was so disorienting.

"You could have given me a heads up," she mumbled, not at all mad at him, just surprised.

Ben gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but if I had said anything you would have been anxious and scared. It's best not to fight the memories, the more you do the harder it'll be, trust me."

Vanya lowered her hand when her headache dissipated, doing her best not to look at any portrait or memorabilia lest it triggered another memory, not wanting to go through that again. But at least now she understood what Ben said, this Vanya's childhood had been tough, she wouldn't exactly say tougher than hers, but still difficult. Punishing her for coming fifth place? Sure it wasn't great but at least she hadn't come last, and yet he punished her like she had, not saying anything to Klaus who had been the one to come last. Clearly, their father had it out to her.

When Ben returned, he offered her a glass of water and she eagerly accepted it and thanked him. She practically chugged the whole thing down. After finishing her water she looked at the empty glass.

"Feel better?" He asked.

Vanya nodded when her hands stopped shaking, she was wondering when mom would be done with her food. She really was starving.

Ben took the glass from her and put it on the coffee table.

"Then I think we should keep looking around."

Vanya instantly tensed.

"There's no way I'm going to put myself throu-"

"Vanya," he interrupted. "You can't stop these memories, even Five tried for the longest time but couldn't."

"Five?" She asked, frowning.

"Yea, when he broke up with you I didn't know what he was going through, I thought he was just going through the whole breakup process. But now I realized he must have returned then, and was remembering everything." Ben leaned back on the couch. "He kept saying he needed to stop them, but I never knew what he meant, I thought he was delirious. He did barely eat and was drunk half of the time."

Vanya's frown deepened, as she mulled Ben's words over in her head. Back at the donut shop, Five had said that she would get this reality's Vanya's memories, but he said she wouldn't get her emotions and yet when she experienced that memory she had felt everything. It was almost as if she had been there, experiencing like it was real rather than a memory. Had Five lied to her? But why? Didn't he know that she would find out the truth when she got her memories back? She had so many questions, but above all the questions was the utter fear she felt.

When her breath became shaky, Ben looked at her concerned and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Breathe Vanya, these memories are nothing to be scared about."

Vanya nodded and tried to do as he said, but was having a tough time. She couldn't stop thinking about what would happen when all the memories of the other Vanya came back to her. Would she be erased? What will happen to her?

Vanya shut her eyes tightly. This was all just too much, she never asked for any of this.

Beside her, Ben tensed and his grip on her shoulder tightened slightly.

"I know it's scary, but they won't hurt you, Vanya. You'll still be you, they won't change that," he assured her softly.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. When she saw the genuine kind smile on his lips, a smile that sent a pang of nostalgia, she blinked and took a deep breath. It didn't do well to panic, not if panicking could mean destroying everything around her. She also knew Ben was probably right. He must have gone through the same thing after all, although for him it must have been easier. She doubted there were many changes between his life here and his other life, not to mention the fact that he had thirteen years' worth of memories that weren't his, she has thirty! One thing's for sure, she was going to talk with Five later.

She exhaled loudly, finally calming down and Ben cocked his head and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Better?" He asked.

Vanya nodded a few seconds later.

"Do you want to keep looking around?"

Vanya bit the inside of her cheek but ultimately nodded when all her panic from before left her. She couldn't deny that a tiny part of her was also curious, and besides, she couldn't exactly run from it apparently.

Ben stood up and offered her a hand, which she accepted and he helped her to her feet. Giving her a once over, he led her back to the portraits. Standing before the next portrait, the next one to the last one she had seen, she cocked her head. The seven of them were still present in the portrait, unlike the one in her reality that only had Allison, Diego, Luther and Klaus. However, despite all of them being present they were even less cheerful than the last portrait. This time none of them even put the effort to smile as they looked ahead with a stern expression, even she was barely smiling. Another difference she noticed was also their positions. In the other portraits they all lined up according to their number, but in this portrait Five went against tradition and stood beside her, his arm pressed against hers, almost as if for support.

"We all look so miserable," she remarked.

"Yea, three months after this was made most of us left home."

She turned her attention away from the portrait and to him. So despite Five, and Ben being around, and her being a member they all still left the academy as soon as they were off age? That actually didn't surprise her.

She didn't ask further on the matter, she suspected it was the same as her reality. Diego was the first to leave, not telling anyone, he was just there once and then he wasn't. The next to leave was Klaus, and she suspected Ben went with him in this reality, he unlike Diego had at least said goodbye. The next was her, and seeing as this reality's Vanya was already with Five she probably left with him here. The last had been Allison, who had stayed a little while longer to convince Luther to come with her but he didn't, she was unsure if that was still true here.

Taking her eyes away from the portrait, Vanya walked the other way and towards another glass display shelf. Inside it, there were a few magazines and memorabilia. Her eyes drifted through the few objects until they landed on a familiar magazine.

The picture on the cover was of her six siblings, and their father, standing in front of a familiar bank, grinning widely at the camera.

_The Umbrella Academy, who are they?_

Vanya sighed when she noticed that she, like in her own past, wasn't present in the picture. Of course, she remembered Allison telling her that she had been fifteen when she joined the team, their father having made her wait two years, claiming that she wasn't ready. Thinking about her father, her eyes focused on him, brows furrowing as she glared at him. That was when she felt another memory come back to her.

* * *

_July third, 2010_

Vanya peered down at the crowd of people gathered in front of the bank, standing behind a yellow tape while police held their guns up, pointed at the door. Standing beside her was her father, looking down at the scene with a spyglass resting over his eye. She, unlike him, didn't need to see to know all that was happening inside the back.

' _I heard a rumour…'_ she heard her sister whisper to one of the robbers. She then heard the familiar sound of Diego's knives cutting through the air, and the sound of them sinking onto someone. She heard the sound of glass breaking, as Luther crashed through the roof and proceeded to send one of the robbers flying out the window. She heard the familiar sound of Five's spatial jump, and the cocky remark he made before he punched one of the robbers, breaking his nose in the process. Lastly, she heard Ben unleashing the tentacle horror inside him, hearing the sound of him ripping bodies apart. Any other child would have been frightened by such sounds, but not her. Instead, she was looking down at the bank with longing, wishing she could be with them, while simultaneously feeling a little proud of her siblings. As expected, her siblings were having no problems with the robbers, they had after all trained their whole life for this very moment.

When a bunch of people ran out of the bank, terrified after witnessing Ben's powers, she watched as the police tensed, waiting for something terrible to exit the bank. When six children came out instead, cocky smiles on their lips, they all cocked their heads and lowered their guns.

Vanya took a deep breath, imagining herself alongside her siblings, smiling proudly at the crowd that was bombarding them with questions.

"Why can't I go play with the others?" She asked, looking up at her father.

Her father didn't even look at her as he continued to look through the spyglass.

"We've been through this before Number Seven." He lowered the spyglass, and once again kept his eyes front, focused entirely on her siblings. "You are not ready."

Vanya took a deep breath and lowered her eyes to the ground, looking at the dirty stone floor in shame.

Her father didn't say anything further on the matter as he turned on his heels and walked away, no doubt to join her siblings, leaving her completely alone.

She gave out a long sigh when she knew he was gone.

That morning, when the alarm notifying them that there was a mission blared for the first time, her first reaction was shock. Their father hadn't said anything about when their first mission would be. However, when his voice blared through the hallway, ordering them to exit their rooms and line up in that do-not-question-me tone, she quickly got up to her feet and exited her room, finding her siblings waiting outside their own rooms, looking at their father with confusion.

Their father had barely explained what they were doing as they all got inside the car. He simply told them that there had been a robbery at a bank and that there was a hostage situation, and he wanted them to deal with it for their first devout.

Filled with excitement, they all could barely stop grinning as they looked at each other with wide eyes, their legs bouncing, brimming with energy for the challenge ahead. This was the day they had been waiting for, the day that will make all their training worth it. To finally do the very thing their father told them they were born to do, their sole purpose in life. To be extraordinary.

Once they arrived she could barely keep her excitement down as they quickly exited the car one by one. Their father stood by the door, handing them domino masks as they exited. Being the last one to exit the car, she had stretched out her hand out for her own mask when her father cocked a brow she instantly felt all the excitement drain out of her.

"What is it Number Seven?" He asked, looking from her hand to her as if he didn't understand why it was stretched out.

"A-am I not supposed to get a mask too?" She asked softly, uncertain.

Her father looked down his nose at her, as he finally understood.

"There's no need for a mask, you will not be joining the others," he answered nonchalantly, turning his back to her to face her siblings who were all now wearing their masks.

Shock, confusion and hurt dominated her expression as she looked at his back.

"Why?" The answer had left her lips before she could stop it.

Her siblings instantly tensed and turned their attention to her, seeing their reaction she was tempted to take it back and apologize, but she couldn't, not this time.

"I train just as hard as them, even more- I- why can't I-"

"Silence Number Seven!" He growled a chest-deep, growl, a tone she had never heard before and had her quickly pressing her lips together and looking down at the ground.

"You all know your training," he growled at her siblings, who all turned their attention back to him. "I do not accept failure."

Her siblings nodded, and with that they turned and left, leaving her behind, again.

Once they were gone, she had tensed for she knew her punishment was coming.

When he turned, she felt his eyes glaring holes at the top of her head. Too scared, it had taken her a few seconds to realize that she was averting her eyes, something her father despised. So doing her best, she quickly lifted her head up and met his angry gaze.

"Your skills are lacking, your control pitiful. You will not be joining the others today Number Seven because you have not yet earned your place amongst them."

Vanya did not argue, she barely even breathed. She was too scared for having spoken out of turn, not to mention that a part of her knew her father was right. She was pitiful, he always said so. Lacking in everything, never good enough like her siblings.

She almost averted her eyes again, until her father raised his hand, revealing her domino mask, practically dangling it in front of her like one would dangle a piece of meat in front of a dog's face. But she didn't care about the comparison her mind made in her head. Her eyes completely zeroed in on the mask like it was the most expensive jewel on the planet.

"Work hard Number Seven, and you may one day be worthy of it."

Pulling her mind out of the memory, Vanya sighed and lifted both of her legs from the ground and crossed them, levitating on the spot as she rested her elbow on her knee and propped her cheek against her fist, her brows knitted together.

She wasn't sure what she had to do in order to prove herself worthy, but one day she will.

* * *

Vanya scrunched up her face as her headache got worse. Again she was thankful when Ben supported her, making sure she didn't fall back.

Like before, the memory she had seen was a memory she remembered from her own childhood but entirely changed. It was such a strange feeling, almost like watching one's own history being rewritten.

"I think I'm done with the memories for today," she grumbled, pressing her fingers against her temple.

Ben nodded and draped his arm over her shoulder, taking up most of her weight.

"Sure, we should probably head into the kitchen anyway, I'm sure food's ready."

When Ben led them out of the sitting room, she took in a deep breath now that she was away from all those memories that weren't hers.

"But I should warn you, the memories will come back to you at random moments throughout the day. Sure, certain things can trigger them and quicken the process, but they'll still come to you regardless."

Vanya groaned. She was already hating this.

When they arrived at the kitchen, she choked up a little bit when she saw mom by the stove, finishing cooking her food. The memory of her destroying the academy flashed before her eyes.

When she heard them come in, mom turned her head and gave them a wide smile.

"Hello, Vanya dear." She smiled with her usual smile that an outsider might consider creepy and a little plastic, and fake, but one she recalled fondly from her own childhood. "Take a seat, food will be ready in a second."

She pointed at her seat with the spatula, her voice cheerful, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary like she was thirteen again and had never left like this was not a different reality.

Ben's grip on her shoulder tightened slightly as if to reassure her as he led her to the chair. As she took her seat, she kept her eyes on mom as she served her food, humming a tune, and placed her plate in front of her. For a few more seconds she kept staring at her until the smell of the food hit her and her attention was torn away from mom and to her plate.

It was a simple breakfast, eggs, bacon, and toast but the quantity surprised her. Mom had served her two large eggs, four pieces of toast and three strips of bacon, there was no way she could eat all that and completely blamed Five.

Rolling her eyes, she took her fork from the table when a flash of blue lit up the kitchen and she tensed. Five was now standing beside the table, blazer gone and sleeves rolled up. His eyes landed on them.

"You guys are here, good."

They both watched him as he walked to the fridge, and took out a chocolate cake. He took the seat across from her, not looking at them as he served himself a rather large piece of the cake. For a second she was surprised, but then she remembered his sweet tooth as a kid. She used to express her concern at how much sugar he consumed, sure he was going to develop diabetes but he would assure her that he wouldn't. Apparently, his powers took a toll on his glucose levels, so he constantly has to keep eating sugary foods to keep it up. Honestly, she just knew it was because he liked it, that's why she used to make him those marshmallow, peanut butter sandwiches when they were kids.

When he seemed to feel her staring at her, he looked up from his cake and he gestured at her own plate with his spoon.

"Eat."

Contrary to popular belief, she didn't like to be bossed around, never has. Years of having her life controlled to the very last detail made her averse to it, but at that moment she couldn't bring herself to argue. Not when her stomach growled and she quickly began to dig in.

Following Five's example, Ben took a smaller piece of the cake and they ate in silence. Even though she was thankful for the silence, and some peace after all the craziness, she was tempted to break that silence and ask one of the hundreds of questions she had. However, when she saw how he was eating his cake with such gusto she decided to wait until they had a moment to speak in private.

"Oh wonderful, just what I needed," Klaus sang.

They all lifted their attention from their food, except for Five who was slowly savouring his cake, and looked at Klaus as he sauntered into the kitchen, and to where she was sitting. Klaus rested his hand on the back of her chair and without asking, grabbed one of the pieces of toasts from her plate.

Like a guard that just caught a criminal stealing, Five snapped his attention away from his cake and sent a fiery glare at Klaus. Before Five could slice Klaus's hand off, and she could tell him she didn't mind sharing her food, seeing as there was no way he could eat four slices of toast in one sitting no matter how hungry she was, Klaus spoke between bites.

"What? He asked, taking another large bite of the toast. "She has like half a bag of bread on her plate, I don't think that amount of food can even fit inside her tiny body."

For a long while, Five continued to glare at him, but after probably deciding it wasn't worth his time, he shook his head and turned his attention back to his cake and continued to eat. Fight averted, they all continued to eat in relative silence, an odd thing seeing as Klaus was with them now, but seemed happier to just sit back and rest his feet on the table as he watched them.

After finishing most of her food, just leaving one egg and one slice of toast, and sliding her plate toward Klaus who quickly lit up, she realized she was thirsty.

Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she held out her hand and grabbed the glass of water, taking a sip of it, the cold liquid slid refreshingly down her throat and it felt like heaven. When she gave out a please sigh, and put the glass down she finally realized that there was no clanking of spoons against plates, or the sound of people chewing, just the sound of mom humming in the background as she cleaned the dishes, she looked up from her plate.

"What?" She asked, confused by the look of shock they were all staring at her with.

Ben gaped.

"You honestly didn't notice what you just did?" He asked, looking from her glass of water to her. Vanya followed his gaze, but when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary she shook her head and frowned.

"Why? What did I do?"

Klaus was the one to answer this time, shock clear in his voice.

"You literally _Harry Pottered_ poured yourself a glass of water, and levitated it all the way to the table!"

For a long second, she just stared at Klaus, not understanding what he just said. However, when she did she raised and curved her brows, eyes landing on the glass of water on the table next to her plate as if it would somehow grow legs and walk away. The glass clearly hadn't been there before, and mom hadn't served it to her so Klaus had to be right, she poured it herself.

Her eyes widened.

She used her powers, used them to pour herself a glass of water. Did it mean that she could now control her powers? Of course, this realty's Vanya knew how to use her powers, but she doesn't. Could it be that, like the same situation with the car, she somehow inherited the knowledge from her? That thought was so surreal that she refused to accept it until she saw it.

"Do something else!" Klaus smiled widely, like a kid asking to see another magic trick.

Before she could answer, Ben beat her to it.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Klaus, it might have been a one-time thing, just the remaining traces of-"

Klaus didn't bother to listen to him as he got up from his seat and went to the cupboard, mom barely even notice as she continued to hum and clean. Taking a mug from the cabinet, he gestured at Vanya with it, a wide smile on his lips. Before she could even ask what he was up to, he threw the cup at her.

"Catch!"

Vanya's eyes widened, and she tensed. Everything seemed to go quiet for her, as her body and mind seemed to automatically know what to do and she focused on the mug, freezing it mid-air just as it left Klaus's hand. She blinked a couple of times, her mouth gaped open, and everyone else matched her reaction. Holy shit she could control her powers.

Pulling herself out of her shock, she smiled toothily, and stretched her hand out, using her powers to bring the mug towards her. When she grabbed it midair, her powers let go of its hold on the mug.

"This is incredible," she awed, looking at the mug like it was some sort of miracle. She had used her powers before, but it was messy and overwhelming, this felt nothing like that. It felt normal, relaxed like it was a part of her.

Beside her, Ben smiled his eyes on the mug, Klaus lifted himself on the counter and sat on it, an I-knew-you-could-do-it expression on his face. Even Five lost most of the tension in his body, in fact, he seemed relieved.

"Just wait until you try flying," he remarked, putting his spoon down next to his plate.

Her eyes widened.

Flying? She could fly? Wait, she knew that already. She had seen it in the memory. She had been atop that building, watching her siblings being praised for stopping the robbers at the bank. It wasn't really flying, but she had floated like it was no big deal.

On a roll and excited to test it out, she pulled her chair back and stood up, taking a few steps away from the table. Realizing what her intentions were, Five's brows furrowed and he waved his hand at her.

"Wait Vanya, you should probably take it slowly-"

Before he could finish, she lifted herself off the floor and rose up into the air, levitating, and though she herself had never done it, the sensation was familiar, just as normal to her as walking. With renowned confidence, she bent her knees and crossed her legs under her as she had done in the memory.

After freezing for a few seconds, almost expecting herself to fall at any second, she looked down at herself, her heart drumming in her chest as she gave out a surprised chuckle.

She could not believe her eyes, how could she? It wasn't flying, more like floating but it was still incredible, not to mention that she could feel her powers at her fingertips, ready to do as she willed it. She found it to be an exhilarating feeling, to have all that power coursing inside her. Sure, it felt incredible when she used her powers that first time but it felt even more incredible to know that she could control it. It made her wonder what her limits were, what she could do, but before she could test it out Allison walked into the kitchen.

"I talked to Lu-"

Eyes falling on her Allison suddenly froze and her mouth fell open, looking at her in shock.

"Vanya yo-you can control your powers?"

Slowly, Vanya brought her feet down and planted them back on the floor, feeling a little self-conscious now that she realized everyone was staring at her.

"Yea," she smiled nervously.

For a couple of seconds, Allison just stared at her as if the cogs in her brain were working hard, but then she matched her smile. However, before they could share their excitement, Five cleared his throat and everyone turned their attention on him.

Losing the easygoing posture, and going all business-like, Five propped his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together.

"What _about_ Luther?" He asked.

For a second Allison looked at him with a frown, as if a little confused but then seemed to remember what she was about to say before she was distracted.

"Oh yea, I checked on Luther and he's on the same boat as Diego, he doesn't know anything about the other reality."

Everyone looked at Allison surprised.

Like she did with Diego, she felt a pang of regret hit her but it quickly changed to a conflicted emotion she couldn't quite place when she remembered how he had put inside that cell. Before she could dwell on it too long, Five sighed and leaned back on his seat. He didn't seem at all shocked nor concerned that Luther didn't know anything. In fact, he seemed to have expected it.

"Seems like we're gonna have to tell them then," Five remarked nonchalantly as he suggested the break the one rule they had all apparently been living by since the moment they'd arrived.

Ben whipped his head around and creased his brows.

"Wait, what? But you said we can't-"

Five waved his hand, almost as if waving him away, like a Professor dismissing a student.

"We don't have time to wait for them to arrive, we have bigger problems on our hands."

Instantly, everyone seemed to forget about Luther and Diego as the kitchen went quiet and they remembered their reason for being here.

Vanya gulped nervously, feeling a sense of forwarning overcome her. Five had said back in the car that he didn't think the apocalypse was coming, she had asked him and he said no. Yet here he was, acting just like he did back then, and the others seemed to pick up on that.

"So you think that the apocalypse could happen here too?" Asked Ben with a frown.

Five's jaw clenched and unclenched as he seemed to think over the response.

"It's a possibility," Five gestured with his hand. "Otherwise why did dad kill himself?"

Tension clung to the air, most of it emanating from her as all their attentions turned to her. They all knew, just as much as her, that there was only one person in this whole house that has the power to bring forth the apocalypse.

Klaus shrugged, not at all fazed by the thought that their world could end in seven days.

"I blame Vanya."

"Klaus!" Allison scolded, looking at him in disbelief, while Vanya herself shrank down on herself.

"What?" He drawled all innocently. "It's always Vanya."

Five shook his head, setting his expression into an unreadable one but she could tell, as she always could, how much those words had affected him by the slight clenching of his jaw.

"It's probably not Vanya this time around. She knows how to control her powers, so it might be something else."

Turning their attention away from Five, they all looked from one to the other, as if asking each other without actually saying anything, what that something else could be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, got to see some of Vanya's memories! there's still a few more, like a lot more but they'll appear here and there! 
> 
> But Five though, why u lying!! 
> 
> As always, thank you for your wonderful comments! I really appreciate them :)


	9. Number One and Number Two

Almost as a line, they all followed Five out of the kitchen and headed to the sitting room. She wasn't comfortable about going back there again but she had very little choice seeing as Luther apparently called a meeting there, just like he had in their reality.

She felt a strange sensation rise up inside her. She still has mixed feelings about Luther, unsure as to what to feel about him. He had exploited her moment of vulnerability to seal her inside a cage as if she was some sort of monster. At the same time, however, a small part of her told her that he's still her brother and no matter what he did she could never truly hate him. On top of that, her own past aside, there was the past of this reality's Vanya and her relationship with Luther. She never really got along with him, but she suspected here their relationship was no doubt more strained.

When they reached the sitting room, she went still when Five pressed his hands on the doors and pushed them open. It didn't take her long to spot Luther, seeing as he was standing right across the door, back facing them as he looked out the window. She couldn't see his face, but she still blinked, stunned, when her eyes landed on him.

Like her reality, Luther still looked like, well, Luther, with short blond hair, with a tall build, and broad shoulders. However that's where all the similarities ended, and the differences began. Everything below Luther's neck was changed, or rather, not changed at all. Instead of his large muscles, and his ape-like appearance, his body was the right proportions, made more evident by the white polo shirt he wore. Instead of straining over his body like all the clothes he wore in her reality, it fit him perfectly, as well as the jeans he wore.

Turning on the spot, Luther faced them and gave them a curt smile. Like the Luther from her reality, this one also sported a short stubble.

"Hey guys," he greeted simply, his lips formed into a thin line.

"Luther!" Klaus sang and ran to their brother, taking him up into a tight hug. Luther didn't stop him, he simply rolled his eyes at his antics but didn't return the hug either.

One by one her siblings all went inside the sitting room, greeting Luther like nothing was out of the ordinary, which she guessed to them nothing was. They have all lived in this reality for some time, for them, this Luther was just regular Luther.

When Allison walked inside the room, she eyed Luther, an awkward air between them. Vanya quirked a brow at that but didn't dwell further on the matter. In the end, she and Five were the only ones left by the doorway, mostly because she was still too shocked to move.

Seeming to realize there were two in the group that hadn't greeted him, Luther turned his attention back to the doorway. When his eyes landed on her, they hardened and lost their spark.

"Oh hi, Vanya," he greeted, and Vanya stiffened when she noticed his tone of voice. He wasn't being hostile like Diego had been, but his voice was dry and indifferent like he was talking to a stranger rather than someone he grew up with.

When she didn't answer, Luther's attention went from her to Five, his eyes landing on the ring on her finger briefly before going back to her again.

"Congratulations on the engagement by the way. I was meaning to call a few weeks back but I never found the right moment." That snapped her out of her shock as her cheeks reddened upon hearing the word engagement. However, he didn't seem to notice her reaction as he continued speaking. "Oh and nice work in stopping that hurricane in Florida, very impressive work," he praised, but his voice came out strained, almost forced.

The words stopping and hurricane, and her name being used in conjunction, made her blinked rapidly. She was stopping hurricanes now?

"I know right?" Klaus sang as he bounced to the bar, breaking the awkward air in the room. "The hurricane was all like swissh, swossh!" Klaus waved his hands along with the sounds he was making. "And Vanya was all like, _bitch_ please."

Allison and Ben snorted, amusement danced behind their eyes but Luther didn't share in it as his jaw tensed slightly and ignored Klaus.

"We should probably focus on dad now," he said, using his usual I-am-the-leader- voice. Klaus simply shrugged.

Vanya eyed Luther for a second for his abrupt change of topic but didn't think too much about it as she finally walked inside the room, Five following closely behind. Much like she did in her reality, she sat on the couch facing away from the bar. But unlike her reality Five sat beside her, his arms pressed with hers. Her shoulders tensed momentarily at the contact, and she shifted on the spot.

Much like he did then, Luther remained on his feet, looking down at them.

"So…" he gestured at them with his hands. "The team's all back together aga-"

The doors suddenly banged open, cutting Luther off as Diego stumped his way to where they were all sitting, everyone's eyes on him. He didn't say a word as he took his place by the window, leaning by the wall, clearly angry by the way he worked his jaw and glared at Luther.

As per usual, Luther ignored Diego as he took a deep breath to re-gather himself. Everyone's eyes were on him again.

"Um, so anyway," he cleared his throat. "I figured we could have a sort of memorial service in the courtyard at sundown. Say a few wor-"

"Alright, I'll stop you right there." Five cut him off, and Luther pulled his brows together, and she tensed.

"Wha-"

"Dad's funeral service, forget about that, we got bigger concerns." Five cut him off again, rising from the couch and Vanya let out a soft breath.

Luther's lips flattened.

"But dad's death, he-"

"Irrelevant," he intoned, placing his hands inside his pant pockets and leaning to one side as he regarded Luther. "The old man died of a heart attack, nothing more, what's to come is far more-"

"What heart attack?" Luther asked, his forehead wrinkled, eyes narrowed.

When Vanya noticed the look on her brother's face, she felt a forewarning feeling simmer in the pit of her stomach. She was getting a bad feeling about this.

Luther took a step towards Five, glaring down at him.

"Dad was murdered, his neck was snapped."

Silence dominated the room, a stifling, tense atmosphere encased them all. All five of them, including Five himself, were staring at Luther, their eyes wide, mouths hanging open.

"What!?" All five of them asked in unison.

Vanya's heart began to beat faster inside her chest, as she felt like something was pushing down on it.

Dad's dead? Not by a heart attack but murdered? That wasn't right. He was supposed to have a heart attack, was supposed to die of natural causes, not because someone snapped his neck. Who could even do such a thing? Sure, dad had acquired many enemies over the years, most of them consisting of enemies the Umbrella academy took down but she never thought anyone would take it that far, not to mention that dad would never be so careless. She was shocked, to say the least, but deep inside herself where no one could see, she felt a sense of morbid satisfaction rearing its ugly head that only proved to scare her to the core.

"Yea, someone broke in last night and killed dad," Luther screwed his eyes, shaking his head slightly, confused by their reaction. "You didn't know that?"

For the first time ever, Five was left without words. His face twisted into a confused frown, his jaw set as he shifted his attention to the floor, gazing at it in a way that she's seen many times before. It was the expression he made when he found something strange that he didn't understand and it frustrated him. Clearly, Five was not expecting their father to be murdered.

"Who did it?" Whispered Ben.

Luther shook his head, and brows drew together.

"I don't know, but there was no forced entry, no clues, whoever did it was someone close to him. Someone with a grudge."

The air around them only grew more and more stifling by the second. Vanya and the rest stiffened on the spot, they already knew where this was going, having already gone through it before. The difference this time, however, is that Luther had a genuine reason to say what he said.

"What are you saying?" Asked Klaus, just like he had before, but this time he sounded genuinely concerned rather than offended.

"Well Isn't it obvious Klaus?" Diego scoffed, crossing his arms and sneering at Luther. "He thinks one of us killed dad."

Silence again dominated the room. This was the point they would all jump up from their seats and ask Luther how he could think something like that, but this time around they all remained seated.

Turning his head, Luther glared at Diego.

"Look, I don't believe any of us did it, alright." He turned his gaze back to them all. "But like it or not we're all suspects and it's up to us to get to the bottom of this, so we can-"

"So we can what?" Cut in Diego, stepping closer to Luther who's neck muscles clenched upon being interrupted. "Take revenge?"

The pressure in the room reached a near breaking point as their brothers, the ones that were supposed to be the ones leading them and set an example, squared up with each other.

Vanya's eyes hurriedly went from Luther to Diego.

"Now what good will that do anybody?" Diego sneered. "Except maybe, showing daddy what a good little soldier you are from beyond the grave."

For a second she thought Luther would punch Diego with the way his nose flared, and his hands balled up into fists. Thankfully he didn't and settled with widening his stance, and looming over Diego as if trying to intimidate him, but Diego only straightened further on the spot to meet him.

"Then what do you suggest, Number _Two?"_ Luther's voice was taut.

Diego simply shrugged, unfazed.

"I think we should just let it go, the old man never did anything for us, so why should we do anything for him?"

Luther took in a sharp breath and opened his mouth to argue, but before any sound could come out, Five, who had now pulled himself together, spoke up.

"Diego's right." Everyone turned their attention back on Five, brows raised, even Diego's. "Dad had many enemies, it's not our responsibility to look into his murder. It is, however, our responsibility to stop the end of the world."

Vanya's breath hitched slightly when she heard the word, end of the world.

Before them, Diego and Luther have now turned away from each other as they faced Five. Their reactions were very similar, as they both narrowed their eyes and their brows squished together. If the situation were different she might even think it was amusing.

"What?" They both asked in unison.

Five rolled his eyes and gave Luther and Diego his usual sneer-like smile he gave people whenever he was reaching the end of his patience.

"You should both take a seat, this is going to be a long explanation."

Diego and Luther looked from one to the other, then back at Five as if asking each other if they had heard right. However, when neither said anything and Five's impatience grew progressively worse as he crossed his arms and tapped his finger. They both huffed and took a seat.

"Alright." Diego leaned back on his seat and spread his arm on the backrest. "What the hell do you mean by the end of the world."

Taking a deep breath, Five slipped his hands back inside his pant pockets, something he always did whenever he had to explain something. He seemed completely at ease, his posture straight and confident while she was biting the inside of her cheek, her finger stroking the soft fabric of the couch, a tic of hers.

"Well, first of all, none of us are from this reality…."

For the next ten minutes or so Five explained everything to them, _everything_. She was even a little surprised and apprehensive when he didn't omit anything. He told them how he had run away when he was thirteen and how he found out about the apocalypse because of that, his jaw clenching slightly when he told them about his time in the future. He told them how he got out the future and his work with the commission, and how he managed to get back to them. He even told them how he had run all across the city for an entire week looking for the cause of the apocalypse, only to learn that it was her all along. He told them how in that reality she had no idea she had powers, and how when she found out she lost control. It was at that point that she stopped listening, as her stomach rolled as she became progressively more uneasy as panic began to rise up inside her. When he reached the part about Allison she closed her eyes tightly as her insides twisted when the memory played in her head.

' _I heard a rumour…'_

Those words repeated in her head, her chest began to raise up and down as her breathing quickened, her muscles became rigid. She didn' understand how Five could talk so nonchalantly about it, he almost sounded like a professor giving out a lecture. She understood that for him it's been years since the apocalypse but she still didn't explain his indifference towards it. Like she hadn't destroyed the world.

Falling further and further down her memory, her eyes snapped open when a hand grabbed hers with a reassuring squeeze, grounding her. For a second her breathing even out slightly, thinking that it was Allison who had reached over in her armchair to grab her hand. But when she noticed how large, and masculine the hand was, her muscles coiled. Slowly lifting her head, her eye landed on Five who was now sitting beside her on the armrest of the couch, having taken that spot at some point during his explanation.

He wasn't looking at her, so she was forced to look at his profile, eyes slightly widened. He hadn't even stopped talking or looked down at her as he continued to explain, and something told her that he never had. Somehow, without even looking at her he knew that she was on the brink of having a panic attack, and that should have shocked and confused her but it didn't. She also should have slipped her hand out of his but she didn't, not when her muscles uncoiled, her body becoming less like a spring ready to snap from the pressure. It was odd how he always had that effect on her. Their relationship at the moment may be strenuous, and confusing at best, but she still appreciated his support. He used to be her best friend when they were kids after all.

Focusing on the now, she turned her attention to what Five was saying.

"As you can see, this reality is different from our own. A point proven further by the way dad died. But despite both reality's differences, the outcome might still be the same. So let's focus less on the detail, and more on the outcomes shall we?" Five crossed his leg and turned his head to look at them one by one. "As far we know, all seven of us are prime suspects for bringing about the apocalypse voluntarily, or not, so for the next seven days, we're all going to stay here."

When Five finally stopped talking, both Luther and Diego stared at him, brows knit together, mouth slightly opened as they looked at him like he'd gone insane. But their reactions were to be expected. If she herself didn't know he was telling the truth she supposed she would look at him the same way. And Five didn't seem to think their reaction was at all odd either, as he leaned to one side and waited for them to catch up with what he just said. After all, it wasn't every day one hears that someone is from another reality, such things belonged in sci-fi novels or tv series, not in the real world.

She watched as Luther opened and closed his mouth as if wanting to say something but then changing his mind, a slight furrow between his brows. But oddly enough it wasn't him who spoke first, but Diego.

"Ok…" he drawled, lips curled into an uneasy smile as he slowly stood up from his seat, and began to walk away, no doubts wanting to get away from all this weirdness.

Five frowned as his eyes followed Diego across the sitting room.

"Where are you going?" He asked, his voice sharp. "Didn't you hear a word I just said?"

Diego didn't stop as he replied.

"Yea, I did. But clearly, you've all gone insane so I'm getting out of here before the insanity spreads."

Beside her, she could feel the simmering anger that was oozing out of Five as he glared at Diego's back. She wasn't surprised by his reaction, she knew how much he hated being dismissed. When they were young, he'd often throw tantrums whenever their siblings ignored him.

Seeing as he was still holding her hand she could feel how his muscles tensed under his hold as his grip on her hand tightened. Without any thought, she turned her hand inside his and squeezed in hand in return. Five didn't turn to look at her, nor did she look up at him, but she noticed the way his hand softened in her hold.

"We still need to hold dad's service Diego," Luther finally spoke, his voice slightly strained. By the look on his face he clearly hasn't quite processed Five's words, and probably didn't know how to approach the situation either so he fell back on something he did know. Trying to order one of them around. "You could at least stay until then,"

Halfway out of the room, Diego stopped, his back stiffened. For a long second, he seemed to consider it, and she thought he would say no, but then gave out a deep sigh and looked over his shoulder.

"Alright, but after the service, I'm out of here." With that, he walked out of the sitting room.

Klaus sighed and grabbed the martini he just finished making between his fingers.

"I'll go talk to him."

When Klaus walked out of the room, leaving the four of them there with Luther, who somehow seemed so small despite his large build with the way he was resting his hands between his knees and slouched his back. When the door closed, he turned his eyes on them, a slight frown still prominent in his expression.

"Um." He scratched his head. "Could you explain everything again?" Asked Luther and Five groaned.

* * *

After Five explained everything to Luther not twice, but three times, with Luther interrupting every few seconds to ask questions, she was beyond tired and Five wasn't doing any better. When Luther interrupted his explanation for the eight-time, Vanya really worried that Five would get an aneurysm with the way his veins popped, and his neck turned a bright shade of red. Patience never was one of his forte.

When Luther finally seemed to understand, but still struggling with believing, and without Five murdering him on the spot, he mumbled that he needed a bit of time on his own to think before the service. Of course, Allison didn't hear the part about him wanting to be alone and went after him. That left her with Five and Ben, that is until Five shot her a strange look and told them that he needed to do something and spatial jumped out of the room. So that left her with just Ben, with whom she had to apologize and dismissed herself, telling him that she needed a moment alone.

Thankfully Ben understood, giving her a reassuring smile before going his separate way. However, when she was left alone with the eerie silence, and she began to feel like the walls were closing in on her as her own memories of her own time in the dreaded academy came stumbling back to her, she nearly called him back but bit her tongue. So she went someplace where she could be at peace, where she didn't have to think about the apocalypse, their father's murder, Five, the preg- nothing. Where she could just sit and think about nothing.

Walking down the hallways she was tempted to go to Five's room, seeing as her room was torn down in her reality to expand Klaus's room, and she used to go there all the time after he disappeared. But instead, she went to Allison's room, only to come to the pleasant surprise that her room was still intact in this reality.

When she opened the door to her room she stood by the doorway, her eyes roamed over the entire space. Other than the fact that there were several posters, the array of cosmetic products on the desk with a vanity mirror and that her room being a lot bigger, everything was more or less how she remembered it.

With a please sigh, she made her way to the desk that was very similar to the one Allison had in her room and sat on the stool. She gazed at the old makeup products that used to belong to this reality's Vanya.

' _You're in the cover of every paper now Vanya, you can't go outside looking like that anymore!' Allison exclaimed while she sat on the stool looking awkwardly at the floor._

Vanya hissed and pressed her fingers against her temple, her forehead wrinkled as she heard Allison's young voice in her head. When the pain passed, her body slumped. It was another flash of a memory, lasting only a brief few seconds.

She huffed. She was really getting sick of these memories.

Looking away from the cosmetics, she gazed at the mirror and she clenched her jaw when she saw her reflection. She was never particular about her appearance and that was just it. The Vanya before her was one that clearly did care, one that no doubt spent hours fixing herself up before going out rather than simply brushing her hair and putting on the first thing she saw.

She shook her head and sighed, taking her attention away from the mirror and slid off the stool to kneel on the floor. Five said that, at their core, she and the other Vanya are the same person, if that was true then she would have used the same hiding spot.

Bending her back slightly, she used her nails to grab a loose piece of the floorboard. When she bent her fingers to lift it, she let out a small huff and her shoulders fell when the piece wouldn't budge. But when she tried one more time, and the piece lifted, her stomach clenched with a bit of excitement.

It was a rather small space, big enough to fit a few magazines but it was enough to stash away things she didn't want their father seeing and confiscating. Five had been the one to help her make it after he himself made a similar hiding spot for himself in his room. Inside it, she used to keep cassettes and later on CDs, as well as candies, overall any items their father would disapprove of. Here there were more or less the same items. There was a J-14 magazine from two thousand and three with the pictures of the hottest guys of the year on the cover that had her eyes rolling. On top of it, there was a packet of gum that was long expired, as well as a few knickknacks and typical things a teenage girl would have in her possession.

With a bit of a smile on her lips, she grabbed the cassettes and cd's and looked through them, a little surprised to find that she had the same taste in music as this reality's Vanya. Putting the cassettes and cd's down, she took the magazine when a flash of something shiny caught her eye. With a slight furrow in between her brows, she put the magazine down on the floor and reached inside the small space and grabbed the golden like item hiding under a piece of paper between her fingers, and lifted it to her face. When her eyes settled on it, another sharp needle-like pain stabbed her brain.

* * *

_April 12, 2005_

She and Five were sitting on the hotel bed, facing each other with their legs crossed. Between them, there was a pile of candy and opened wrappers, as well as empty soda cans staining the covers with what little they had left inside them. They didn't care about the mess they were making, they were more preoccupied with talking about nothing in particular, and laughing every once in a while.

They were in Berlin for a mission, a simple mission to take down an underground organization. Earlier in the day, they had completed said mission with their siblings, having no problems with it at all, as expected. Once they were done and spent a few hours talking to the press, well mostly Five talked to the press seeing as he was the only one that spoke perfect German, they went back to the hotel.

As per usual she and Allison shared a room while Klaus and Ben shared one, and Diego and Luther shared another, leaving Five with his own room. Usually, they stuck to their rooms seeing as their father usually made checks to see if everyone was where they were supposed to be, but seeing as he was invited to dine with the chancellor, they all broke that rule. She watched Diego sneak into Klaus and Ben's room, no doubt to watch a scary movie. While Allison slipped out of their room, looking a little awkward and nervous, so she suspected she went to Luther's room. So in the end she was left with their room all to herself, and did the only sensible thing and called Five.

When Five spatial jumped to her room with a large bag full of candies and a smirk on his lips, she grinned.

After he ordered room service to bring them something to eat, mostly junk food their father would never let them eat, they sat on the floor and he put on a movie. As they ate they watched Starship Troopers, a movie she thought was way too gross for her and considered asking him to take it off. That is until she heard his genuine, carefree laugh, devoid of his usual contempt. All negative thoughts about the movie went out the window as she leaned back on the footboard of the bed and leaned a little on Five so that their arms were touching.

After they finished the movie they sat on her bed and began gobbling up the candy he brought.

Grabbing yet another candy, she crushed the wrapper in her hand and threw it on the bed, unaware of what she had just put in her mouth. When her teeth bit down on the hard candy and the liquid inside it hit her tongue she scrunched up her face and curled her lips, tears began to slide down her eyes from how sour the candy was.

Across from her Five gave out a short laugh, his eyes dancing with amusement as he looked at her.

"I told you to read the wrappers before eating them," he chided.

She tried to take a deep breath to tell him that she didn't understand German, and therefore couldn't read the wrappers, but that only made it worse as the liquid from the candy went down her throat, making her cough uncontrollably.

Instead of being concerned for her, the corner of his lip twisted as he looked at her with amusement. The idiot.

"Come on, it's not even that bad, stop being such a baby."

"You try it then!" She managed to grumble, tears still sliding down her cheeks.

Never to back down from a challenge, he shrugged and grabbed the same candy that she had eaten from the bed and popped it inside his mouth. When she watched his jaws lower as he bit into it, his neck tensed and his nose flared slightly, but otherwise didn't show any signs of discomfort. But she knew with the way his brows furrowed slightly that he was faking it.

"It's not even sour," he said, his voice coming out strained.

Vanya snorted and grabbed the pillow behind her and went to smack him with it, but he raised his arm just in time and blocked it. However, with his delicate concentration broken he squinted and a tear escaped his eye.

"Ha!" She pointed at his tear, a triumphant smile on her lips. "Not that sour! For sure!"

Five crinkled his nose and he snorted derisively as he finished his candy.

"It isn't," he sniffed.

She didn't argue with him as she shook her head and smiled at him. He never could admit he was wrong, sometimes it got under her skin like nothing ever could, but sometimes she found it oddly charming.

Pushing the horrible sour candies to the side he grabbed a safe, generic-looking chocolate box from the pile and opened it. Taking one piece, he offered it to her. For a brief second, she eyed him distrustfully, but when she didn't notice any mischief in his eyes she grabbed it and popped it inside her mouth. Still not trusting him she tentatively bit into the chocolate, but when the delicious strawberry taste hit her mouth her brows shot up and she hummed.

"Those are good! What are they called?"

"Schogetten." He answered in perfect German, grabbing a piece for himself and popping it inside his mouth and pressed his lips together as if considering the taste. "They're alright, but I much prefer the fluffernutters you make me," he said between bites.

Vanya smiled and averted her eyes, as she felt her cheek heat up slightly for some reason. He didn't seem to notice her reaction, or simply didn't comment on it as he grabbed another piece of the chocolate and handed it to her.

They continued to eat the pile of candy until there were none left, even the sour ones which they challenged one another to eat without making a face. Of course, she lost, unable to compose her expression like he did but she did manage to make him gag a little by throwing another pillow at him. Of course, he huffed that throwing pillows wasn't part of the challenge and therefore cheating.

Once they had a pile of candy wrappers but no candy, she leaned back on the palm of her hands as she came down from a sugar high, expecting him to be the same but when she noticed how tense he was she frowned.

Five shifted on the spot, and rubbed the back of his neck, not looking at all himself.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing I just…" he trailed off and took a deep breath to compose him. Turning his head away from her to look behind him he grabbed something from inside his back pocket. When he turned to face her once more he offered her a box. "I sneaked out of the hotel before the mission and got this for you, I thought you might like it."

Vanya's eyes fell on the box, a medium-sized black, jewelry box. Tentatively she reached for the box and took it. Once it was out of his hands he let out a deep sigh as if relieved that he was no longer holding onto it. She turned the box in her hand and opened it when her eyes fell on the item inside it her mouth fell open slightly.

It was a small, delicate chain bracelet made of gold. In the middle of the bracelet, there was a pendant attached to a loop. Putting the box down she rested the bracelet in her hand and with care grabbed the pendant between her fingers. On it there was a seven and five carved intricately on the metal, both numbers practically blending together with how close they were.

An odd, new sensation twisted in her gut as she shot her eyes up to meet his, eyes softening when she noticed his reaction.

Five was blushing intensely, his usual confident, cocky demeanour gone as his eyes shifted from the bed to her eyes, a vulnerable look in them. She wasn't doing much better, as she felt her cheeks heat up and her heart pound in her ears. The bracelet felt like it was burning in her hand.

* * *

When a knock came from the door, Vanya nearly jumped on the spot as the memory dissolved and she was thrown back into the now. A hundred emotions were shifting inside her at once, and she didn't even have a chance to pull herself back together as the door slid open.

"Miss Vanya?"

Wide, confused eyes rolled up and her breath caught when she saw who it was that stood in the doorway.

"Pogo?"

Pogo, completely unchanged from her reality smiled fondly at her.

"It's good to see you again miss Vanya."

Vanya opened and closed her mouth, her heart pounding inside her chest as the memory of Pogo being thrown across the sitting room, and onto the antlers on the wall kept repeating in her head. When she didn't say anything, he cocked his head and leaned on his walking stick.

"Master Luther asked me to remind everyone that your father's funeral service will take place in the courtyard in ten minutes."

Funeral service?

After blinking a couple of times, her mind rewired itself and she nodded. For a second there she half expected Pogo to reprimand her for killing him.

When she noticed the look of concern in his eyes, she schooled her expression into what she hoped was one of normalcy and nodded with a faint smile. Five told Luther and Diego everything about their reality, but he didn't say anything about telling Pogo.

"I-" she took a deep breath to compose herself again. "Tell him I'll be right down."

Pogo eyed her for a long second but he simply nodded and walked away.

With slightly shaky hands she put everything inside the hole in the floor, except for the bracelet she was still holding tightly inside her hand and covered the hole with the piece of the floorboard. Before she exited her room she looked at the bracelet and felt a faint twisting sensation in her chest, much like young Vanya had felt which only proved to confuse her further.

"Come on _sis_ , I'm sure your adoring fans will forgive you if you disconnect from social media for a few minutes," Diego barked from outside the room, and Vanya nearly jumped on the spot.

Placing the bracelet on the nightstand, she quickly exited her room. When she felt tears prick her vision, she frowned and wiped them away with her thumb, unsure what the tears were for exactly.

As with their reality, they all gathered in the courtyard, well, nearly all of them. Oddly enough Five was nowhere to be seen, which worried her a little. Luther decided to wait for him for a few minutes, but when he didn't show up he scoffed and mumbled something that sounded like, typical, under his breath and proceeded with the funeral.

After Pogo said a few words, but no one else they all went back inside the academy. Unlike her reality, Luther and Diego didn't fight as they both went their separate ways. Luther retiring to his room, and Diego no doubt leaving the academy despite what Five said. However, before he left he shot her a weird look she didn't understand.

As she made her way to her room she grabbed Ben by the arm to stop him.

"Ben, have you seen Five?" She asked.

Ben shook his head and frowned, seemingly concerned for Five as well.

"Probably in a bar somewhere," Klaus huffed as he made his way up the stairs. "The nerves of that guy, going out to drink without letting me know first. Blasphemy!"

Vanya's grip on Ben tightened.

That shouldn't concern her, Five is a full-grown man and can make his own decision, but it did with a bit of anger on the side as well. Didn't he say they all had to stay inside the academy until the day of the apocalypse? Why would he leave them without saying a word, and all of a sudden?

When he noticed her conflicted expression, the edges of his brows curved downwards.

"Don't listen to Klaus, I'm sure Five's alright and had a reason to leave."

That didn't make her feel any better as she kept picturing Five leaving the dinner table when they were thirteen years old and never coming back.

"Yea, I'm sure he does." She smiled and Ben returned it.

After that Ben said his goodbyes and she retired back to her room. Once she closed the door behind her with finality, she felt all the exhaustion of the day hit her like a truck.

Vanya let out a deep shaky breath, and her shoulder slumped.

She felt both mentally and physically drained to the point that she was certain she had never or will ever feel this tired again. She didn't even consider taking a bath as she made her way to her closet. She only found academy issued clothes and she grimaced a little, but ultimately she didn't care and grabbed a set of pyjamas. When she put them on she was a little annoyed as she was reminded of her short height yet again, seeing as the pyjamas still fit her perfectly.

Once dressed, she kept her mind blank and made her way to her bed, her bones aching with the need to lie down. But of course, the universe could never give her a moment to rest as a knock emanated from the door just when she lifted the covers.

Vanya nearly stumped her foot and gritted her teeth. She was so close.

"Vanya." She froze when she heard the voice. "It's me, open up."

For several seconds she just stood there frozen, really considering not opening the door, but then she realized he would just teleport inside either way. Five always had to get what he wanted. With a sigh, she went to the door and opened it.

Five was standing by the doorway, hair damp from the rain and sticking to his forehead. In fact, there was water dripping down his entire body, his bottomed-up shirt completely soaked and clinging to his body. Her eyes roamed down and frowned when she noticed what he was carrying. In his left hand, he had a duffle bag and in the right, he had a plastic bag. Interestingly enough both items were completely dry.

Frown deepening she took a whiff of the air, trying to detect any alcohol but didn't smell any so she met his gaze instead.

As kids she could always read him, she supposed it was thanks to all those times they spent together. But at that moment even she couldn't decipher what he was thinking as his expression was schooled into an unreadable one.

He looked her up and down and his brows furrowed.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Vanya blinked, not having expected that question. He was asking if she was alright? Him? Who had disappeared for several hours, only to come back completely soaked from the rain?

"Yea, why wouldn't I be?"

For a brief second, he watched her as his eyes softened, losing some of their hardness. "You look tired."

For a long while, they both simply stared at each other. As she looked at him she couldn't help but be reminded of the memory she had seen, of a fifteen year old Five giving her a bracelet, looking so vulnerable. She knew those memories weren't hers, and she was fixed on not letting them affect her in any way, but she still felt something odd tug inside her.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Five cleared his throat and lifted the duffle bag. "I went back to our-" he shook his head before he made the missteps. " _The_ apartment and brought you some clothes."

Her frown lifted as she accepted the duffle bag from him, genuinely grateful that she won't have to wear these uncomfortable pyjamas for another night.

With one item down, he worked his jaw and he looked at her almost awkwardly as he lifted the plastic bag, holding it out to her.

"And I also went to the pharmacy and got you a pregnancy test."

Vanya made a soft startle sound as she nearly choked on her own saliva.

She didn't take the bag right away, looking at it as if it were a disease, but when Five shifted from one leg to the other as he got antsier and antsier, she took a deep breath and grabbed the bag. With how quickly she grabbed it, one would think that there was a bomb inside the bag or something equally nefarious. Regardless, once the bag was out of his hand Five instantly deflated.

Once again, awkward silence passed between them as they stared at each other.

She didn't understand why it was so awkward, well, she understood _why,_ but it shouldn't feel like this awkward. They were always so close when they were kids, they could tell each other everything, hell he was the first person he told when she got her first period. It had been so awkward, he had turned a deep shade of red as he took her hand and led her to mom so she could tell her what she was supposed to do, but still stayed by her side the entire time. And it wasn't just him who was there for her. One day, after he went to dad and told him about his ambition to time travel as well as his calculations, their father had scolded him so harshly Five had run to his room. She was the only one that went to check up on him and found him with his head buried in his pillow, crying. Five was always the perfect one of the family, the prodigy, the cleaver, cocky, confident one that was always unfazed and somehow always knew what to do. At that moment he had only been eleven, but despite his young age, she had never seen him cry once in his life except for that time, so seeing him like that had been a shock, to say the least, all the more reason for her to console him. At first, he had been abrasive towards her, practically yelling at her to leave him alone but she didn't listen and stayed by his side, not saying anything, just accompanying him. Once he realized that she wasn't leaving and his crying stopped, he opened up to her. Five, the most closed-off individual she's ever met in her life, opened up to her. That's how close they were as kids. To see that connection break hurt.

Seeming to think the same thing, his eyes softened further and his jaw unclenched.

"This must have been a very strange, and long day for you," he sighed.

She lifted a brow. That was the understatement of the year.

Five stroked the back of his neck and pressed his lips together.

"And I kind of threw a lot at you at once."

This time Vanya lifted both her brows. It was strange to hear Five say that he had done something wrong, or made a mistake, not to mention that something told her that he didn't come about that realization on his own, that either Ben or Allison had probably told him.

"Look, I just want you to know that if you…" he lowered his hand from his neck, and cleared his throat looking more awkward than she's ever seen him. "It's just that I-um-I- I'm really sorry about everything, I messed up, on the whole, sending us all back in time." He said, completely changing what it was that he was going to say, and in the process wiping away all awkwardness as he set his expression into a blank one.

She felt something inside her twist, as it always did when she was reminded of what happened. She wanted to say that it wasn't his fault, that he was just trying to fix the mess she made, but she kept her mouth shut, and simply nodded. She was too tired to deal with anything, even guilt, or even the fact that he had lied about there not being any emotions tied to their memories. Perhaps in the morning, she'll unravel all those things.

Five straightened his back.

"It's getting late, it's not good for you to be up at this hour."

She knew what he was saying is that it wasn't healthy for the baby for her to be up this late, that is if she is pregnant. But like everything else, she simply saved that thought for later.

"Goodnight Vanya," he said, sounding every bit the gentleman, a side of him reserved for very few people.

"Goodnight Five," she said her farewell, managing a small smile.

With that he turned on the spot and left, his wet shoes squeaking with the wooden floor. When he turned the corner and disappeared behind the wall she took a deep breath and closed the door. With the duffle and plastic bag, in hand, she walked to her bed and placed the duffle bag on the floor and the plastic bag on the nightstand. She was going to leave the pregnancy test for tomorrow morning, just like everything else. However, when her hand brushed something cold inside the bag she frowned and opened the bag.

Alongside the box, there was a large bottle of carrot juice and she rolled her eyes, but still took the bottle from the bag. She only had breakfast but given how much she ate then, and after all the events of the day she didn't feel hungry. So she just opened the carrot juice and drank half of it.

Lifting the bed covers, happy that the sheets were fresh seeing as mom probably changed them all the time despite her not sleeping on them for years, she slipped inside her bed. As she laid her head on the pillow, she listened to the rhythmic sound of rain hitting the window. As slowly drifted to sleep she couldn't help but think that she had only survived one day in this strange new world, and something told her things were only going to get weirder from here on out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for disappearing for two weeks guys! I work in film and in the last two weeks a lot of big productions have come to my city, so I've been incredibly busy working on sets. I only managed to post my new story because I'm co-writing it with a friend!! This being said, I've decided to update on Saturdays, this includes all my other stories. This gives me time to write the chapters and edit them properly.
> 
> Anyways, so the murder mystery has really escalated now hasn't it? Makes you wonder, who killed Reginald Hargreeves? hmmmm 
> 
> Anyway, I really, really appreciate everyone's continued support for this story! honestly, if I could give kudos to comments I would! so thank you, again, to everyone who reads, comments and overall enjoys this story as much as I do!
> 
> ps.
> 
> Someone on Tumblr once described the relationship difference between Luther's/ Allison's and Vanya/Five's relationship as this, and I couldn't agree more.
> 
> Luther: *carrying Allison bridal style and talking to her calmly*
> 
> Five: *sprints past, with Vanya slung over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes while Vanya is screaming*


	10. The life we made together

_October 5th, 1994._

It was so cold, the towering metal walls looming over her. 

Seven was sitting on her hard bed, her knees pressed against her chest, arms wrapped around her legs as she tried to make herself smaller. Body shivering. She was stuck inside the scary, dark box. She didn’t understand why she was here, all she knew was that she was cold, lonely and scared. 

Earlier in the day she had been playing with Five and Two, they were building a castle made of blocks. Two and Five did most of the work, while she passed them the pretty, shiny blocks when out of nowhere Four came in and toppled their castle over with a plush dinosaur that always scared her. Looking down at their destroyed castle, the blocks laying uselessly on the floor, her lips quivered and tears threatened to spill from her eyes when she noticed that Five already had tears falling down his cheeks. He had worked so hard on the castle. 

She didn’t know what happened, all she knew was that her cheeks had gone so hot she thought she was going to explode. Before she knew it Four had been thrown across the room, and the next thing she knew she was back inside this very scary room. 

She tightened her hold on her legs and pressed her chin on top of her knees. 

It wasn’t the first time she has found herself here. She’d often find herself in this chamber whenever she sent someone flying as she did with Four, a regular occurrence of hers. Just a week ago she sent another nanny down the stairs when she tried to make her eat that nasty oatmeal. Usually, when she did that the nannies looked a lot like the useless blocks Four had toppled over, never coming back up, but she was sure they were fine. If only they understood that she didn’t want any of that stinky oatmeal, that wouldn’t have to happen. Still, she tried her best to not let it happen, seeing as she always ended up in the darkroom when she did, but she couldn’t help it. Dad would always scold her too, which scared her more than the chamber ever did. 

Seven took a deep breath, her chest partially lifting as her lungs had some difficulty breathing with how stifling the air was. Halfway between another breath, there was a quiet pop and a blue flash in front of her. 

With a yelped she jumped a little on the spot, the air sparking with the energy she unconsciously gathered around herself. Much like she had with Four, she was ready to release all that energy until she heard a familiar, soft ouch and she froze, the surrounding energy dissipating into thin air.

With an inquisitive look on her face, she craned her neck to the side to peer at her visitor. 

Five was lying on the ground, one hand propped behind him and one hand stroking his temple, his forehead wrinkling. 

“Five?” Her voice came out weakly.

Five raised his head and dropped his hand as he watched her with a grin.

“Hi Seven,” he said vibrantly, unaffected by the gloomy chamber that scared her so much. 

She watched him as he raised himself to his feet and strided to her bed. That was when she noticed the toys he was holding in his hand. Her body lost most of its rigidity as her eyebrows quirked up and she beamed, her eyes twinkling. That was the one positive thing about being stuck inside the eerie chamber, Five visiting her to play. He always was her favourite playmate. 

During playtime, she always went to Five first. She enjoyed playing with him even when he got angry at her when she didn’t play the game right. She knew Five could be very mean and sometimes he made her cry, but he would always apologize and let her choose a different game to play. The others didn’t do that. When Two was mean to her he never apologized, he was a meanie. Four was silly and was happier destroying than playing while Six picked up after him. One and Three always played together, mostly tea parties.

“Didn’t dad say not to use your sp-spatially jumps?” She asked, a tiny furrow between her brows.

Five slumped down on her bed, as comfortable in the chamber as he would be in either of their rooms. 

“Spatial jumped,” he corrected, and raised his chin. “And I can use it if I want to.” 

Seven nodded and gazed at him with admiration. 

After Five learned his special ability, dad kept ordering him not to use it because he kept crashing into objects. The last time he used it, he landed on a vase and broke it, cutting himself. Five had cried, but dad didn’t let him get a bandage, saying that pain was his punishment for not listening to him. She felt so sorry for Five she had sneaked into the infirmary and took one of the smiley face bandages she loved and went to his room. She didn’t know how to treat an ouchie but did what their nannies did countless times and put the bandage on his hand. She knew it still hurt, but Five wiped his tears and sniffed. 

Even after that incident Five still kept using his ability outside the training room, and it was thanks to his rebellious nature that he eventually found her chamber. Now, every time she was locked inside it he visited her, usually with a toy or even better, candy. Sometimes, when she was really scared and shivered from the cold, he would stay with her longer and stayed by her side until she fell asleep, never bothered by the darkness. That’s why she looked up to him, more than she did the others.

Five was very brave, he feared nothing, not even dad like the rest of them did.

He didn’t make any further conversation as he held out the princess doll, and her eyes widened with excitement.

The doll was one Three usually played with and didn’t let anyone touch. She would often play with it while One played with a knight figurine. Seven thought they were going to play a similar game, where the knight rescues the princes like in the books, but the figurine Five had on his other hand wasn’t a knight. 

She took the princess and eyed the figurine he chose for himself. 

“Doesn’t the knight save the princess?” She asked, lifting her gaze back to him.

Five scoffed and sneered. 

“Knights are dumb and boring, I prefer to be a wizard!” He exclaimed, lifting his wizard figurine in the air, his eyes glinting. However, when his eyes turned back to her and noticed her expression, his smile fell and he cocked his head. “But I’ll be a knight for you if you want.” 

* * *

Vanya woke with a start, her heart pounding in tempo with the knocking on the door. A little disoriented from the very realistic dream she knew to be a memory, but uncertain if it had been hers or this reality’s Vanya, she blinked twice and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Annoyed that she was unable to do so. 

She must have slept at least twelve hours, but she still felt exhausted. She kept waking up in the middle of the night, twisting in her bed and roaming her hand up and down as if searching for something. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was looking for but when she didn’t find it her brows furrowed and it took her a few minutes to fall back to sleep only to wake up soon after. Because of that, she never quite completed a full sleep cycle throughout the entire night. 

When another insistent knock came from the door, making her head pound, she gave out a grunt and sat up on her bed. After stretching out her limbs, giving out a yawn, she lifted herself from her bed that was far more comfortable than she remembered and made her way to the door. 

She lazily blinked as she opened it, but when her eyes landed on the person before her, they instantly sharpened and her grip on the doorknob tightened. 

Five was standing on the other side of the door, eyes boring into her. 

She was going to greet him, but when she took him in, she set her jaw and frowned. To say that Five looked like shit was an understatement. 

Starting with his generally well-kept hair. It was now completely dishevelled from not drying it yesterday. His usually bright green eyes seemed dull, with circles under them making them stand out with how pale he was. Yesterday he looked immaculate, with his expensive-looking suit that clung to his figure, but now he wore the same shirt from yesterday, almost entirely creased due to it being soaked the night before and not washing it or even taking it off to dry. On his clean-shaven face, there was now a morning stubble. By his state, she knew he hadn’t slept at all, or even taken a break.

“Did you even sleep?” She asked, skipping the greeting, very much confused by his state. 

Five didn’t seem to even have heard what she said as he asked her a question of his own, his voice coming out raspy.

“Did you do the test?”

As if someone had pulled the plug on a drain, her confusion and even concern for Five left her as everything from the previous day came crashing back to her. 

Her arriving in this new strange world, finding out she was engaged to Five, her childhood friend, to learning that she’s some sort of superhero, to then finding out she might be pre-

Vanya gulped, her grip on the doorknob became uncomfortably tight. If she had been half asleep before she sure wasn’t now. 

“Oh,” she shook her head, cheeks reddening somewhat, her hearts beating faster. “No, I haven’t, I was going to do it now.”

That was of course a lie. The test hadn’t once crossed her mind in the last three minutes she’s been awake. And now that she remembered it, she wanted to forget it. 

He gave her a hard stare.

“I see,” he responded softly but said nothing else. 

For a little while, there was a very awkward air between them, both of them staring at the other until Five cleared his throat. 

“Well, I’ll be here, waiting.” He stepped to the side to let her through so she could go to the bathroom. “Please let me know the results.”

Knowing that she couldn’t put it off any longer, Vanya gave out a weak breath, grabbed the pregnancy test from the nightstand and exited the room. As she made her way to the bathroom, she felt Five’s eyes on her, practically burning holes into the back of her skull. Once inside the bathroom, she closed the door, briefly meeting his eyes as she did. 

In her hand, the pregnancy test seemed to burn against her skin, the magnitude of what she was about to do making her feel like her insides were being crushed by an invisible hand. What if she was pregnant? Five seemed so convinced she was, and though she felt terrible yesterday, she felt slightly better today. She wanted to think that was a good sign, but ever the pessimist she couldn’t. She didn’t know the first thing about being a mother, wasn’t even sure if she wanted to be one.

Taking in another shaky breath when she felt another panic attack on the way, she told herself to calm down. Once she was sure she would not hyperventilate when she started exhaling steady breaths, she lifted the box and opened it then read the instructions. She read over it twice, her mind having a tough time concentrating. When she was sure she got everything, she opened the box and took the tests.

The next three minutes were the longest minutes of her life. She didn’t even dare to hold it in her hand. She left it by the sink while she sat on the ledge of the bathtub, her eyes set on the ground. Outside, the bathroom she could hear Five pacing from one side of the hallway to the other like a caged animal. Could hear the sound his hair made as he pushed it back in a manic manner. 

When she knew the time was up, and after waiting two extra minutes to muster up the courage, she briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

Slowly she stood up and reached for the test. When her eyes landed on it, she nearly dropped the test when vile rose inside her. Of course, that had to be the moment when she felt another stabbing pain in her temple. 

* * *

_March 14h, 2019_

_‘Another day, another dollar,’_ Vanya thought to herself as she opened the door to the apartment and placed the key inside the bowl. Kicking her snow-covered boots off she gave out a relieved sigh. 

After an entire day on her feet, planning the charity concert, practicing, giving out a guest talk at a local high school, not necessarily in that order, she was drained. 

She gave out a tired sigh and strode into the apartment. She wanted nothing more than to clean the makeup she so hated from her face, slip into bed and sleep until the next centu- 

Her train of thought came to a sudden stop as she froze on the spot and her eyes bulged when they landed on the couch. 

Having arrived earlier than her, Five was sitting on the couch, back resting comfortably against the armrest, a notebook in one hand while his other arm was draped over the backrest. The sleeves of his oxford shirt were rolled up, the first four buttons undone, on his ear, he had a pen resting there. His hair was slightly mussed, and there was a slight stubble around his jaw and chin. But the absolute offence had to be those tight dress pants that did terrible things to her. They absolutely had no right clinging to his legs that way, leaving little to the imagination. 

With the way he was dressed, without his usual blazer and tie, she would think he was a professor rather than a leading researcher. She kind of wished he was so he could look like that all the time. But then again, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. She wasn’t an idiot; she knew a lot of their fans, both male and females lusted over him. She wasn’t the jealous type, but she wasn’t too keen on throwing more fuel to the fire either. So that kept her from taking out yet another new phone and taking a picture of him to post it on Instagram. She was going to keep that image tucked inside her mind where only she can see it and no one else. 

Exhaustion thrown out the window, she sauntered to the couch. 

Too engrossed in his work, as per usual, he didn’t so much as look up from his notebook as she straddled his hips, bending her body in such a way that she didn’t interrupt his reading. Her fiancé had many quirks, many things that could set off that famous anger of his, but she knew since they were children that interrupting his work was a bad idea. Interrupted Five was a grumpy Five. 

So nimble as a cat, and thanks to her rather small stature, she tucked herself onto his chest without obstructing his line of sight, allowing him to keep reading. Her arms wrapped on either side of him. He didn’t make a sound or move, he simply let her cling to him as he kept reading. The only response she got from him was how his muscles relaxed under her.

“Digging the whole professor look,” she purred. 

He hummed, the rumbling of his chest made her smile. 

“Don’t say that to Judy, she’s been pestering me non-stop to give another guest lecture.” 

Vanya smirked at that. 

Judy is the current president of MIT, the institute Five worked. She was a nice enough lady, having invited them for dinner twice at her house, but she was always behind Five, asking him to give guest lectures. Five wasn’t sure how else to say no to the woman. It wasn’t that he didn’t like to lecture. Five loved talking about his research. She would tease him by saying that he loved the sound of his own voice too much, to which he would scoff. So the problem wasn’t the talking, the problem was his aversion to lecturing. 

The last time he held a guest lecture she had attended it, and she nearly keeled over in laughter. As with anything, Five was direct and to the point, so the way he lectured was like a train with no breaks, not once stopping to explain himself, assuming the students knew exactly what he was talking about and how he came about his reasoning. She almost felt bad with how quickly the students were taking down notes as he spoke, thinking their notebook would catch fire, not once looking up from their page, and most of them looked very confused, despite them being in a higher year. But the funniest thing had to be the end of the lecture when he asked the students if they had questions and nearly all of them put up their hands. 

Just as he had been in the lecture, Five was just as to the point in his answers.

He gave the student half-answers, skipping how he got his conclusions, but at least that was better than that time a student asked him, what he thought was a question with a very obvious answer, and he asked her if she was stupid. Vanya felt awful for the student, but she was too busy stifling her chuckles.

After that fiasco Five bowed to never lecture again, despite many students praising his lecture and demanding another one, so he opted to use her as his audience whenever he felt the urge to talk about his research. She didn’t mind, being long used to it, but he needed an audience that at least knew what he was talking about. 

“Maybe you should consider giving one more. My ear is still bleeding from the last time you tried to explain your current research to me.” 

He gave out a displeased grumble. 

“Not a chance,” he huffed, and she rolled her eyes. 

For the longest time, she just stayed there, content to just be close to him, smelling the faint scent of perfume, aftershave and just his overall natural body odour, until the thought that had been pestering her the whole day came back to her and she tensed. 

“You know, I’ve been thinking…” she trailed off, her brows furrowing. 

“A rather dangerous thing for you to be doing. Last time you started _thinking,_ I ended up in the middle of the ocean.”

She twisted her face into one of mock hurt and anger and smacked him softly on the chest. She knew exactly which incident he was talking about.

They had been trying to stop a tsunami in Indonesia. As soon as she heard the news, she told Five to take them there right away. Time was of the essence so she suggested that he spatial jumped them there without calculation, thinking he didn’t need them seeing as he was an expert in spatial jumping by now. Well, she had been wrong, and they ended up in the middle of the ocean. She had floated on the spot, but in their shock, Five fell to the ocean. For the rest of the day he had glared at her, looking a lot like a wet, grumpy cat. 

“That was partly your fault too!” 

He hummed and turned the page of his notebook with the flick of his finger. 

“Sure it was.”

She huffed indignantly, but still very much amused. 

“Well, I was thinking _again_ ,” and bit her bottom lip as the amusement drained out of her and her arms tensed. Five noticed her shift as he too stiffened under her, but he didn’t look down from his notebook. “Since we’re going to get married, I thought we could, well- maybe we could….um-“

“Spit it out woman,” his voice wasn’t harsh, but amused.

Vanya took a deep breath. 

“Well, I thought you might be open to the possibility of starting a family.” She got the words out with haste as if she kept them inside her mouth for too long they might bite her. 

She braced herself for his answer, her fingers pressing against his hips. Under her Five stiffened further, prompting her to do the same.

She knew Five isn’t big on kids, never was. Sure Claire would visit them so often this was her second home, and he was friendly enough to her, showing her more patience than anyone else, even her, but she still wasn’t sure if he wanted kids of their own. Of course, she did, always has. All her achievements, all her work were nothing compared to bringing a child into the world, something that was hers and Five’s. She wanted that for them, a family, she’s just been too much of a coward to bring it up until now. 

He opened and closed his mouth twice, eyes glued on the notebook. 

“You want a baby?” 

She nodded against his neck, too scared to look up at him. For the next minute, Five took the time to consider what she just said, and Vanya felt like she might explode with anticipation for his answer. She wanted children, so she wasn’t sure how they would proceed if he said no. 

“Right now?” He asked and her cheeks coloured a little. At the same time, a bit of amusement bounced around inside her. They’ve been together for fifteen years, have performed so many acts of intimacy, and the very notion of having sex with him still made her blush like a schoolgirl. But she was also relieved he hadn’t shot her down.

“Of course not right now, we’re busy as it is with all the wedding planning and work.” 

Five scrunched up his nose and gave out an annoyed grumble when he heard the word wedding planning. As she expected, Five loved the idea of marrying her but hated the whole wedding planning process. They’ve only been engaged for a little over a month, and it was a bit early to plan anything, but after Allison caught wind of the news, she took over the whole thing. For hours her sister would make her sit with her, planning. Five on the other hand wanted nothing to do with it, so whenever the wedding planner that did Allison’s wedding visited he would always leave the apartment, making the excuse that he was busy. Those rare times she got him to stay, he would glower at the wedding planner with so much ire and annoyance that the poor lady would talk fast so she could leave. Vanya would always scold him for his behaviour, warning him that if her wedding looked like a circus he was going to find himself in the middle of the ocean again. 

“I was thinking after the wedding we could try,” she added, and the way Five deflated like he just dodged a bullet had her smirking.

The thought of having a baby had been sitting in her mind for so long, that she already had the right time to do it. Usually, honeymoons were spent happily in each other’s company, enjoying themselves, rather than spending the entire time with morning sickness and all the unpleasantness that came with it. But she’s spent so long with him already, travelling the world as Allison suggested, she needed no more of that. What she wanted was to start a family before either of them got too old. Besides, what better way to do it while on their honeymoon? 

Feeling a little brazen, she hummed and kissed his neck. 

“Can you picture us?” She asked, tucking herself further into his body. “In the hotel, snow falling outside as we make love by the fireplace?” 

That seemed to affect him somewhat as his Adam's apple bobbed, and the finger holding the notebook curled slightly on the page. She smirked and lifted herself a little so she could meet his eyes that were still glued on his writing. 

“You think you’re up for task Number Five?” She asked, mimicking their father’s stern voice. 

He snorted at that.

“I believe my skills are more than adequate for the mission, _Mrs. Five_ , but I might need to practice a bit before then,” he responded, and she shivered slightly when he said that name. 

After he had proposed to her, he had called her Mrs. Five instead of Hargreeves, saying that since they both share the same last name, he couldn’t give her a different last name, so he gave her his. It was far from traditional, and if the media got wind of it they were likely to run with it. They still weren’t over the fact that they are adoptive siblings, but she didn’t care. Five wasn’t big on sharing, so giving her something as intimate as his name made her so happy. 

She smiled sultrily and pressed her nose to his neck.

“Well, how about we get onto that _practicing_ right now?” she suggested, kissing the line of his jaw. 

He smirked at that and took his arm from the backrest to wrap around her, stroking her arm with his thumb. 

“In a minute, I gotta finish this for the experiment tomorrow.” He took the pen from his ear and scribbled on his notebook, then returned it to his ear. “But after that, we can _practice_ for as long as you wish.”

She pouted and gave out a little huff as she tucked her head under his chin. His body grumbled under her as he gave out a throaty chuckle that made her smile tenderly. She loved it when he smiled, chuckled, laughed, any reaction that showed happiness, clutching the memories in her hands and storing them deep in her mind. Which made her a little hesitant to speak again. 

Despite what they just said, she felt like it was more of a banter. Nonsense couples tell each other when they’re joking around. But she wanted an explicit confirmation from him.

She pressed her cheek to his chest. 

“So that’s a yes on the baby?” 

He took a deep breath, his chest expanding under her.

“Is a child that important to you?” 

The question concerned her a bit, but she answered it truthfully. 

“Yes.” 

On top of her head, where five pressed his chin, he felt his jaw work. 

“Then yes.” 

That had been exactly the answer she had been dreading. 

She sighed. 

“Five, don’t just agree to make me happy, the baby will be ours, you have to want it too.” 

He tapped his thumb against her arm. 

“I’m not, I’ve been thinking about it too for a bit it’s just that….” He sighed, and she remained silent, kind of knowing where this was going. “Neither of us had a positive paternal role model growing up. And I just don’t know what….” He trailed off, his grip on his notebook tightening. 

Vanya felt something twist inside her. 

She understood his worry, knowing they were genuine. She too was out of her depth when it came to having children and raising them in a normal environment, rather than in a strict academy as child soldiers. How could they possibly hope to raise a child with their experience or lack thereof? At least she sort of had a good maternal role model, but Five had no one, needing to do the opposite of everything their dad did. But aside from that, she knew there was something else he wasn’t telling her, knew it from the tone in his voice, but she would not force him into telling her. He could tell her when he was ready. For now, she needed to reassure him. 

Vanya pushed herself slightly off of him and pressed her hand to his cheek, his slight subtle prickling her palm. She gently turned his face from the book so he was looking down at her. The corners of her eyes crinkled when she saw the vulnerability in them, something he scarcely showed even to her. 

“You won’t be like dad Five,” she reassured him, completely standing by it. 

Sure, out of all of them. Five is the most like their father, cold, collected, calculating at least that’s the side he showed everyone, but there was more to him than that. He was gentle, and the most caring person she’s ever known. She knew without a doubt that he would show that gentle side to their children too, allowing them into the tiny bubble that for the moment only held her. 

“You‘ll be an excellent father.” She pressed a kiss to his chin and cocked her head. “Perhaps a little strict, but with you, as it’s father, that kid will want for nothing in life.” 

He said nothing. All the answers he gave her was a spark in his eyes that told everything she needed to know and a soft kiss. 

She hummed against his lips. 

Raising her hands from his hips, she clutched his shirt and deepened the kiss, parting her lips and coaxing him to part his. When he did, she drove her tongue inside. She tried to put everything she felt for him in that one kiss, tried to reassure him with it, to tell him how much she loved him. So when they both separated their lips, they were left slightly light-headed, breathing coming out raggedly but that didn’ stop her from pressing her lips to his neck. 

“So, about practice?”

He snorted and brought up his previously discarded notebook and focused on it yet again.

“Nice try, but I still have work to finish.”

Once again, she pouted. 

* * *

When Vanya came back to herself, she couldn’t take it anymore. 

Vile rose inside her and she dropped to her knees, barely bringing the toilet lid up as she heaved. When the first burst of vomit exited her mouth, she vaguely heard the electrical pop of Five’s partial jump as she expelled the contents of her stomach. 

He said nothing, didn’t show any reaction of disgust or hesitation as he knelt by her side and held her hair back. For the longest time, she stayed bent over the toilet, unsteady hands pressing on the bowl, tiles digging into her knees, wobbling slightly.

When she heaved but nothing came up, she slumped back in Five’s arm. He didn’t push her away despite the smell of sick clinging to her. Instead, he sat on the bathroom floor and rested his back against the wall, arms wrapped around her as he held her securely. She didn’t recoil from the contact. A million emotions were battling for control inside her, most of them revolving around him, but she couldn’t help but sink into his arms, craving the warmth his body provided.

As they sat there, he didn’t ask her what the result was, not when she held the test in her hand, both their eyes set on the two lines on the stick. The news of a baby should be the happiest moment in a couple’s relationship, but at that moment it was anything but. As the gravity of the situation clung to the small space, they both froze on the spot, barely even breathing. 

It was then that realization hit her as if it hadn't already. What she got herself into, the logistics of it. 

She’s pregnant with the child of someone she deeply cares about, but not in the romantic sense. Now, what was she supposed to do? Her entire lifestyle will have to change to cater to this tiny thing growing inside her. She will need to carry it for nine months, bringing all sorts of changes to her body. Apart from all the emotional baggage, she wasn’t sure if she could physically do it, but what other choice does she have? It’s not like she could get an aborti-

As the thought slipped into her head, she lost all the air in her lungs and her grip on the test tightened to the point she thought she might snap it in half. If she had nothing left in her stomach, she would have lurched forward to vomit some more, the thought of getting an abortion having that much of an effect on her. Just the thought of it made her feel sick and had her pressing her hand on her mouth. In her mind she kept seeing a little boy, brown ruffled hair, a mischievous, cocky smile on his lips and Five’s green eyes. 

She closed her eyes tightly and let out a shaky deep breath, a solitary tear escaping her eye. She was never one to have too much confidence in herself, usually uncertain with what to do in most situations, but at this very moment, she was truly clueless where to go from here. She didn’t know this world, her life, who had killed dad if there was going to be an apocalypse again, what she was supposed to do. The only thing she knew is that she couldn’t bring any harm to this child. 

Bringing up a shaky hand, she pressed it to her flat stomach, picturing how it would grow in the next few months. 

She swallowed thickly, the aftertaste in her mouth making her grimace a little. 

“Ca- can we go somewhere to talk?” She asked, her voice raspy. 

Behind her, Five nodded and helped her up. Once she was on her own two feet, the world spinning around her for a second, Five put his arm around her for support.

After he helped her brush her teeth, meeting his exhausted gaze in the mirror that showed something she couldn’t quite place, he led her out of the bathroom. It wasn’t far from her bedroom, but her room wasn’t the only one close to it. As they walked down the hallway, the door to Allison’s room opened and she walked out. Being tucked in Five’s arms, she couldn’t meet her sister’s eyes, but she could feel them at the back of her head, not saying anything. 

Once inside her room, Five sat her on the bed but didn’t sit beside her. For a brief moment, she craved his warm hold again. 

“Wait here, I’ll get you something to eat.” 

With that he spatial jumped out of the room, leaving her alone. For what felt like ages she just sat there, staring at the wall, her mind blank. 

When he came back, he had a large ceramic bowl in one hand, a glass bowl on the other with assorted fruits and a bottle of orange juice tucked in his arm. Her stomach grumbled softly, hungry now that there was nothing inside it. However, when Five sat beside her and offered her the bowl, she wrinkled her nose when she saw its content. 

“I don’t like oatmeal,” she mumbled weakly. 

The corner of Five’s lips quirked for a fraction of a second, and he stretched his arm out towards her face, no doubt to tuck her hair back, but he stopped short and retracted his arm. 

“I know, but you need to eat something you can keep down.” He shifted on the spot. “And it’s good for the both of you,” he added gently.

She was too tired and weak to argue, so she nodded and ate it, hating the taste.

The bowl he had brought her was far too large, and it was filled to the top with oatmeal. Even under normal circumstances, she couldn’t eat that much. So she forced herself to eat half and offered the rest to Five, who she was positive hadn’t eaten a thing but that slice of cake yesterday. 

He had refused at first, adamant that she eats everything, but after she insisted that couldn’t eat that much, he took the bowl from her and ate the rest, but only after she agreed to eat some fruit. She enjoyed the fruits far more than the oatmeal, so she ate those with gusto. Once she ate most of them, leaving a few for Five because he needed to eat more than just half a bowl of oatmeal, she drank the orange juice. 

After they ate everything, they just sat on the bed in silence. 

She sighed, enjoying the silence even though it was the quiet before the storm. 

Despite everything, them sitting inside on her bed; it brought a feeling of nostalgia. How many times had they sat together on her bed talking? mostly complaining about dad or their siblings? She wished she could go back to those simpler days before Five left when they were the best of friends, where they could tell each other everything. A time where she was happy and didn’t know it. 

As the silence persisted, she couldn’t help but recall the look he had given her when they were back in the bathroom, one that had her breath hitching slightly. It had only lasted for less than a quarter of a second, but the tenderness and something else made her catch it just in time. It was such an oddly familiar expression, one she’s seen before, but not as her but as the other Vanya. She then realized it was the same look he had given Vanya from this reality in her memory. Upon that realization, she felt something twist inside her, knowing what she needed to do next.

She took a heavy breath, gathering as much strength as she could. She needed to do this. 

“Five,” she looked down at her hands. “At Griddy’s, why did you lie to me? You said I wouldn’t feel this Vanya’s emotions when I got her memories.”

She didn’t turn to look at him but could feel him tense beside her. This was the wrong time to bring this up, they should focus on the baby and what they were going to do next, but if she didn’t, she won’t have the strength to do it and the further she waits the harder it’ll be for both of them. 

When he finally spoke, his voice came out soft. 

“Vaya…”

“Five,” she cut him off, shooting him a look. She had heard that tone before, the one he gave her every time he was going to try to persuade her but she wouldn’t let him. She needed to know the answer. 

When he noticed the conviction in her gaze, he sighed and put the bowl on the nightstand. She thought he couldn’t look any more tired, but she was wrong. Eyes losing their lustre, he met her gaze, a slight frown on his brows. 

“Alright, I lied, the memories do come with their emotions.” He grumbled and pushed his hair back. “But in my defence, you would have freaked out if I hadn’t.”

She narrowed her eyes slightly, a little offended that he had lied. She knew Five, knew the kind of person he was, but she always assumed he would never treat her the same way he treated others. Guess she was wrong. 

“What does that mean?” She asked, genuine fear in her voice. “That your love for this reality’s Vanya is a lie? That-“

“No,” Five cut her off sharply, making her jerk a little on the spot, startled by his tone. 

She hadn’t asked to demean his relationship, but for genuine dread for herself. Not that she dreaded the thought of being with Five. When she was little she used to have a bit of a crush on him. He was just so different from her, the embodiment of the person she wished she was. Brave, confident, _extraordinary_ even in a house full of extraordinary children _._ After he left she clung to that feeling for him for many years, and part of her knew it was still there but she was too scared now. He’s changed so much over the years, while in many ways staying the same, she wasn’t sure she knew him still. But the most important thing is that she didn’t want someone else’s emotions controlling her. She spent most of her life letting someone dictate her every move, she wasn't going to let anything tell her how to feel. 

On his lap, she watched as his hand balled up into a fist then turned her attention back to him. His teeth were clenched, his eyes sharp with anger, not at her but at what she had suggested. 

“You know me, Vanya. Do you really think some silly memories and emotions could influence me? That they would change how I feel about you?” He asked, his voice low. Clearly what she was going to ask had affected him. “Yes they were there, but I would never let something like that control me. What you and I had was real, it wasn’t fake, it wasn’t forced upon me, _I_ chose it.” 

Her breath caught when she saw the indignation, anger, as well as determination on his face. It almost felt like this was an argument he had with himself for a long time, and now that he was saying aloud he was now truly convinced of his choice. She almost wished she could share that determination, could feel the same way he did, could give him a chance but that fear, and uncertainty grip her and she found herself unable to, making her hate herself. 

Without taking her eyes off of him she slipped the engagement ring from her finger. 

“Then I don’t know if I could do the same,” she told him, her voice a near whisper. She grabbed his hand, a little shocked by how tightly he had it formed into a fist. However, as soon as her hand made contact with his skin he opened his hand allowing her to drop the engagement ring in his palm. 

For a little while, she held his hand, feeling her eyes water slightly when his features changed from determination to something she could only describe as pain and almost panic. 

“I’m not her, Five and I’m truly sorry that I’m not. You deserve to be with her, to be happy.” She let go of his hand, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed. “I’ll keep the baby,” she assured him. “I don’t think I could ever hurt it despite the circumstances.”

Her heart was pounding in her chest. 

For what felt like ages Five just sat there, his hand still open between them, her ring on his palm, unable to mask the pain in his eyes. That only made her feel like more of a monster than she already was. She saw how happy Five was in that memory. She had no right to come between that relationship, no right to take a chance for happiness from Five, someone that’s suffered enough in his life. Had no right in surviving the apocalypse. She should have died there to atone for what she did. Hurting Allison, killing Pogo, destroying the world, killing everyone, forcing Five to leave in a barren world all by himself. He should be with the other Vanya, not this replacement of her. 

When Five balled his hand that had the ring into a fist, his knuckles whitening, she thought he would shout, asking her how she could do this to him, wanting him to be mad at her but he did neither of those things. Instead, he schooled his expression into an unreadable one, and before she could even blink he spatial jumped out of the room, leaving her alone with the empty silence of her room. It was then, that she let herself crumble to pieces. 

Letting out a shaky breath, her shoulders fell, and her face contorted into one of pain. 

In her life, she’s had her share of pain, and heartbreaks but none could compare to this one. There was nothing between them, not in her reality, so why did it feel like she just tore her heart from her chest? Why did she feel so empty? Why did she feel the urge to find Five and take it all back?

When the first tear slipped from her eye, she rolled herself into a tight ball and began to cry. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, what an emotional roller coaster!! I actually felt genuinely sorry for Five when I wrote this. 
> 
> But anyway, I'm just going to leave this chapter right here and walk away...


	11. Picking up the pieces

Tears were falling without restraint down her cheeks. The bitterness targeted towards herself flowed through her veins and deadened her mind. The image of Five sitting on her bed, holding her endgame ring with such shock and pain glistening in his eyes kept stabbing at her heart, the knife twisting inside her.

Sobbing softly to herself, she froze when a knock came from the door. Her hold on her pillow, the one she clenched between fingers, tightened as she pictured Five behind the door, overcome with the feeling of both dread and relief. However, when the door parted open and the visitor entered, she sank back onto the pillow.

"Hey Vany, do you know what's up with Five? Dude literally took like three bottles of vodka up to his roo-" Klaus stopped when his eyes landed on her.

"Oh no, what happened?" He asked, entering the room and sitting beside her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "What did the old man do now? I swear if he keeps terrorizing the city we'll have to lock him up."

His voice was soft, but with an edge of humour, as per usual, trying to lighten up the mood the only way he knew how. Usually, she would smirk, maybe even laugh, but at that moment she couldn't do either. She kept seeing Five's broken, shocked expression in her head like a video on repeat.

It was a little later that she forced herself to answer.

"H-he didn't do anything," she hiccuped, screwing her eyes shut. "I-I broke up with him."

As the words left her mouth, she sunk her face closer into her pillow. As she sobbed, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed, and ashamed that Klaus was seeing her like this. She used to cry a lot as a child, but a year after Five disappeared, she just stopped, not wanting the other to think she's more pathetic than she is, not to mention how much Five used to hate seeing her crying. So she stopped shedding tears, keeping them all bottled up. When that wasn't possible she took a pill to numb the pain. But now everything just feels so raw, so real, so tangible. She just wished she could have her pill back so she could make it all stop.

"Oh, I see," Klaus breathed, pursing his lips. Not sounding at all surprised.

She fisted her fingers into the pillow. Much like Five, she just wished Klaus would shout, get angry at her, something. She wanted someone to tell her she made the wrong decision.

When she cried harder, clutching to her pillow, body shaking uncontrollably, Klaus leaned down and stroked her arm.

"Oh Vany, it's gonna be alright." He petted her head.

She opened her eyes; the tears made her sight watery.

"It's not fair to him Klaus, I took the woman he loved from him, and the baby…" she trailed off, closing her eyes again.

Behind her, Klaus stopped stroking her hair.

"Oh shit, so you _are_ going to have a little number twelve," he joked, but when she sobbed harder, he continued to croon, and stroke her head.

"Vany, it's not your fault."

She didn't even hear him as her entire body shook. It was her fault, it's all her fault. She's the reason they're in this situation in the first place. If Five had just left her at the theatre, none of this would have happened.

The bright green, vulnerable, pained eyes flashed in her mind, and she rolled herself tighter into a ball.

In her youth, whenever she used to cry, her siblings would just awkwardly leave her side and let her deal with it on her own. Tears don't belong in the Hargreeves family, that's what their father would often tell them, never teaching them how to deal with pain and sorrow, instructing them to bottle it up instead. At that moment she expected Klaus to do the same, to just give her an awkward tap on the shoulder and leave. So when he leaned further, and took her into a hug, pressing his chin on her arm, his beard tickling her, the tight knot in the pit of her stomach unravelled ever so slightly, the gesture reminding her of something.

When the stabbing pain pierced her head, she wasn't as shocked this time around.

* * *

_August 25th, 2005_

It hurts, it hurts so much, that's all she could think as she sat in the corner of one of the many empty rooms of the academy, knees bent, head lowered, hands tucked against her belly, almost as if to hide them or protect them. Her body was rocking on the spot, shaking as she wept silently like a wounded animal, afraid someone would hear her.

She didn't want anyone seeing her this way, crying like a child.

After dad finally dismissed her from the training room, she had excused herself and nearly flew out of the room as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Finding the nearest empty room, she had closed the door behind her and rolled herself into a ball, unable to keep the tears at bay. Like a dam, they had all come spilling out.

Stifling a sob, biting her lips until they almost bled, she leaned her head back on the wall; her face contorted into one of pain as the swelling in her hands throbbed with intensity, making her hate herself.

She's better than this, she's Number Seven, child extraordinaire, most powerful member of the Umbrella Academy, she shouldn't be crying in the corner like some chil-

When pain in her hand suddenly shot up from her hand to her arm like fire, tendrils running through her veins, making her keel over. She clamped down on her teeth, biting her lips with an almost hopelessness, trying to anchor herself. But when the pain became too much, a sob escaped her lips, echoing loudly in the empty room. The footsteps she hadn't noticed from outside stopped, and she froze.

For a brief second, nothing happened. There was just utter silence, but when the doorknob jiggled, she pulled her legs closer to her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible. She thought it would be dad, looking for her to reprimand her for running out of the training room, only to see the tears in her eyes and yell at her for crying, an unbecoming behaviour of a member of the umbrella academy. However, when the door parted open and her wide, frightened eyes landed on someone that wasn't dad, she nearly sighed in relief when she remembered that she didn't want her siblings seeing her like this either.

Ben, wearing civilian clothes, no doubt on his way to sneak out of the academy, stood by the doorway. At first, his eyes traced the room, as if trying to find the source of the sound he had heard from outside, his gaze fixed on the upper side of the room. When his eyes lowered, and they landed on her, his brows briefly shot up in surprise, only to furrow a second later.

"Vanya?" Ben said her name with confusion and concern. "What are you doing here?"

She didn't answer him, all her efforts were being put on keeping the tears from spilling from her eyes. While she was thankful it was Ben, the most understanding and kindest of her siblings, she still felt shame coil inside her. Dad's words kept coming back to her, like a broken record.

' _You must always strive for perfection Number Seven, anything less is a mockery to the academy.'_

When she didn't answer, rolling herself tighter into a ball, the edges of Ben's eyes crinkled and the outer curves of his brows lowered. None of them had ever seen her in this state, and if she had it her way, she would have kept it that way too.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly as if he was talking to a wounded animal.

"Nothing," she lied, her voice soft and hoarse. He didn't seem to believe her one bit, nor did she expect him to.

"Vanya... come on, something's clearly wrong, just-"

He walked into the room, his eyes fixed on her, but when he made it halfway through he collided face-first into the invisible barrier she had made around her. For a second, she nearly lowered the barrier in guilt when Ben bent down and pressed his hand on his nose. No blood seemed to come out of it, but that still must have hurt.

She swallowed thickly.

She hated to cause pain, even more so when it was on her siblings. The only time she could bring herself to hurt them was in training, and even then she hated it. But to keep Ben away, as the irrational, almost instinctual need to hide herself to lick her wounds overtook her, she would have to do just that.

"J-just go away, Ben," she mumbled, lowering her gaze. As another stabbing pain pierced her hand, she screwed her eyes shut, making her see stars as a lonely tear betrayed her when it escaped its confines.

Wrinkling his nose, he looked at her again, his expression passive, not at all mad at her.

"No," he grumbled, uncharacteristically stubborn of him. It frustrated her.

She wanted to be angry at him, to be like Allison and just yell at him to leave, or say something mean, but she wasn't like her sister.

Letting out a sigh, she pulled the energy around the barrier to herself. Noticing the change in static in the air, Ben took a hesitant step to where the barrier had been. When he felt nothing, he closed the distance between them and knelt in front of her.

She didn't meet his eyes as he stretched his hand out to her. When Ben grabbed her hands, she jerked on the spot, nearly taking the hands from his grasp and sending him across the room, but managed to stop herself. Letting him take her hands from their hiding spot on her chest, his touch feathery light, careful with them, she held her breath.

Once her hands were fully visible, the light from the hallway illuminating them, he took in a sharp breath, his nose flaring as he winced.

Her knuckles, once pale and devoid of any blemishes, were covered in angry, purple bruises. Every knuckle was swollen and one even looked like it was broken. Angry gashes covered them, blanketing her pale skin in caked blood.

"Jesus Vanya," he whispered.

Vanya looked at her battered hands that were shaking from the pain in Ben's hold. As he bent his thumb to stroke her knuckle, she winced before he even made contact and he froze.

"What ha-"

"B-e-n, where you at? We're suppo-" Klaus trilled off as he stopped by the doorway, his eyes instantly landing on them both.

Vanya looked up from her hands to him, the shame inside her winding itself tighter. Yet another one of her siblings was going to see her like this.

For a second Klaus seemed amused, and she suspected he was about to make a joke, but when he read the room he frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Neither of them answered as he walked into the room. Unlike Ben, Klaus didn't collide into a barrier. Kneeling beside him, he followed their line of sight. When his eyes landed on her hands, he made the same reaction Ben had given her.

"What the hell!" He practically screeched. "What Happened, Vany?" Asked Klaus, all humour gone from his voice, a rare thing to hear.

Vanya let out a shaky breath.

"Dad made me punch the wooden dummy."

"For how long?" asked Ben, looking pained, but there was also anger reflected in his eyes.

She shrugged, it must have been hours, she wasn't quite sure how long but long enough to stain the wooden dummy and make her hands feel like they've been run through a wall.

"Why?" Asked Ben

"Luther beat me in sparring." She answered simply.

She didn't need to clarify, didn't need to explain further. They all knew their father's treatment towards her. They knew that if she was anything less than perfect, she would get punished for it.

Shifting his hold from her hands to her wrist, Ben gave her a pained look that Klaus matched. It was such a strange expression, one that she's so unfamiliar with, that it makes something clench inside her. She never expected her siblings to respond that way to her pain, she always kind of assumed they would judge her for it. Assuming that Five was the only different one, the only one that saw past the perfect image their father created for her and she maintained, but it seems she was wrong.

Eyes shifting from Ben's to Klaus, not seeing any judgement in them. A tear slid down her cheek and she let it.

When she came back to herself, she didn't dwell on the memory, too exhausted to do so. Felling Klaus's arms around her, she sank into them. She like the company and reassurance they provided, not wanting to be alone. She's spent all her life alone, convincing herself she doesn't need anyone, but how wrong she was.

They stay like she doesn't even know how long, but when the sobbing lessened in intensity and she tried to take in shaky breaths, she spoke again, her voice frail and hoarse.

"What am I supposed to do now?" She asked, almost as a plea.

Everything was upside down. She needed someone to tell her what to do, anyone.

"Well, normally I'd say drink until you blackout, but…" he trailed off. "I guess you could go down the boring route and try to make sense of things, maybe?"

It wasn't really advice, but she clutched it between her fingers.

"What about Five?"

Klaus huffed.

"Fuck Five, literally and figuratively," he joked, but then his voice turns softer again. "And I mean, who knows, you might end up falling in love with him again, right?"

At the word, love, her mouth suddenly became parched as something caught in her throat.

Klaus shrugged, moving his chin on her shoulder, his beard rasping on her skin.

"I mean, If grumpy, old man Five could fall in love, then sweet little Vanya definitely can."

She remained quiet for some time, uncertainty and confusion rolling around inside her, she actually hadn't considered what Five said. She thought about it. Could she ever fall in love with Five? She wasn't sure, wasn't sure if she could allow herself to care for someone that way after what happened with Leonard. One thing's for certain, with her meek and shy personality, she could never compete with the memory of the other Vanya. Because that's what that relationship would look like, and she couldn't live her life that way.

"What if I don't want anything with him," she asked softly, as if scared.

"Then don't," he answered like it was obvious.

Vanya's grip on her pillow tightened. Klaus made it sound so easy, but then again he always saw things in a much simpler light. She envied that.

"What am I supposed to do with the baby?"

Klaus's chin shifted on her shoulder as he opened his mouth to respond when another knock came from the door. Turning in Klaus's hold, they both turn on the bed. Once again she tensed, thinking it was Five but when her eyes landed on Ben's raven hair she let out a breath.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, walking into the room, his eyes landing on her.

"No," answered Klaus for her, turning fully so he could face Ben properly. "Vanya ended her engagement with Número Cinco and she's going to have a little twerp."

Ben didn't seem at all surprised as he nodded, a weak expression on his face.

"Yea, I thought as much."

He sat beside them, the three of them barely fitting on her small bed, and placed a hand on her arm.

"You shouldn't feel guilty, Vanya, this wasn't your fault."

Klaus nodded in agreement.

"That's what I said."

Vanya wanted to nod, wanted to agree with them and purge herself of all the guilt she's feeling but she couldn't, not with the constant reminder of how much Five was hurting as he paced from one side of his room to the other. His room, being in the attic alongside Ben's, was situated right above hers, allowing her to hear everything. With her heightened hearing, she could hear him run his fingers through his hair, could hear every time he took a swing of the bottle he had in his hand, the sound of the liquid sloshing. He was a mess, and she didn't even need to see him to know that. It made her feel worse than she already did.

Having left the door open when Allison walked past her room, she froze and turned to face them.

With a frown and concern clear in her eyes, she walked inside the room.

"Oh my god, Vanya what happened?" Allison asked when she took in her state. Red puffy eyes and a pink nose. When her eyes land on Klaus they narrow. "What did you do now, Klaus?"

"Me?" Klaus pressed his hands on his chest, affronted. "I didn't do anything, it's Five who's the culprit."

That made Allison backtrack, her fury towards Klaus draining out of her eyes as she turned her attention back on her.

"Why? What happened?"

Vanya didn't have to answer, as Klaus explained everything to her. Expression shifting into one of sympathy, Allison sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Vanya, I can only imagine what you must be feeling, how confused you must be."

Vanya blinked.

How she must be feeling? How can they be so concerned about her, after everything that's happened, everything she's done? It was so surreal. Not to mention that it's Five who's the actual victim here. He just lost the love of his life and it's all her fault.

Lowering her eyes, she tucked her knees against her chest.

"I don't even know where to go from here, what to do about the baby."

Ben waved his hand.

"Don't worry about the baby, I'll call a buddy of mine to come over to see you. He's a well-known gynecologist who's dealt with celebrities before, so I'm sure he'll be more than adequate for the job. In fact." He reached inside his pocket and took out a phone. "Let me give him a call right now, he's probably free today so he might be able to come."

Rising from the bed, Ben exited the room and Allison took his place, grabbing Vanya's hand. She listened to Ben's voice as he spoke over the phone to distract herself from the noises above her bedroom.

Hanging up the phone, Ben put the phone back inside his pocket and walked back inside the bedroom.

"He said he won't be able to make it today but he will be able to come tomorrow."

She nodded, feeling her gut churn. Hearing that a gynecologist was coming to give her a check-up suddenly made everything so real, especially the pregnancy. She didn't know the first thing about raising a child, much less the steps she had to take from here until it's born. What kind of check-up, tests, vitamins she had to take? She knew none of those things, she never thought she'd ever be a mother.

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" She asked softly and Allison's hold on her hand tightened.

"Just rest, Allison and I will go out and get you the vitamins you'll need."

Beside her, Allison nodded as she stood up from the bed to stand beside Ben. Vanya looked from one to the other.

"But Five said we're not supposed to leave the house," she said, concerned that something might happen to them while away.

"We'll only be gone for a few minutes," Allison assured her, turning to follow Ben out the door. Before they disappeared, however, Klaus jumped to his feet.

"What do I do?" Asked Klaus, eager to be useful.

Ben turned his head and gave him a once-over.

"Stay here with Vanya, and do everything she asks," he responded simply.

"Ok, so be her slave. Got it!" Klaus gave Ben a thumbs up, no sarcasm in his voice but amusement.

When Ben and Allison exited her bedroom, Vanya sat up on her bed and propped herself against the headboard. Her eyes were dry and crusty, unable to shed another tear. Her body felt like it weighed a ton, unable to support herself from all the exhaustion that was pressing down on her shoulders.

As soon as Allison disappeared down the hallway, Klaus turned to face her and grinned.

"Alright, so just us _girls_ now."

The edges of her lips curled a little at that.

As they waited for Allison and Ben to come back, Klaus sat by her desk, phone in hand. Resting her back against her pillow, she half-listened to him as he went over a list of baby names, a little amused when he kept reappearing his own name after every name, and half listening to the room above her.

"How about John?" He asked. Not bothering to wait for her to answer, he continued. "Nah, you're right. How bout Klaus?"

He beamed and looked up from his phone.

"Lovely name, original, smart, and if it's a girl, you can name her Klausinia!"

If the situation had been different, she might have chuckled at that, but the insistent stumps coming from above her room were starting to grate on her.

"Klaus," she said his name tentatively.

He doesn't look up from his phone as he responded.

"Yup?"

Pursing her lips, she took a few seconds before she spoke again.

"Can you- can you check up on Five for me?"

As if on cue, she watched as all the amusement drained out of Klaus's face. Smile dropping, and eyes widened, he stared at her as if she asked him to go hell and back for a favour, rather than just checking up on their brother.

"Check on Five? Are you kidding me? That guy's like a Tasmanian devil, he'll rip my face off if I so much as peek inside his room." He shook his head. "No, no, no, It's best we let him cool off and-"

A loud crashing sound came from the attic, sounding a lot like someone threw a bottle against a wall, shattering into tiny pieces on impact, and they both jerked on the spot. That was the last straw.

Setting her jaw, she took a deep breath.

"Fine, I'll do it myself-"

Before she could raise herself from her bed, Klaus stood up from his seat and sat beside her on the bed instead.

"No, no, no, Ben said you had to stay in bed."

"Then can you please check up on him before he does something stupid?" She insisted, becoming progressively more nervous as Five kept pacing in his room.

"Something stupid?" He chuckled nervously. "When isn't he doing something stupid?"

When she shot him a look, he gulped and all the amusement left his face once more.

"Come on, Vany…. out of all the things to ask?"

When she didn't change her mind, with every intention of going to check on Five if he doesn't, and he knows it, Klaus sighed and stood up from her bed. He waved his arms in defeat.

"Alright, fine."

With that, he left her room, and she listened to his every step, intending on listening to his every move, but a few seconds after Klaus left, Ben and Allison returned. She turned to face the doorway. In Allison's hand, there was a plastic bag and a paper bag in Ben's.

"See, that didn't take so long, did it?" Asked Allison with a smile, depositing the plastic bag on her nightstand. Ben walked around Allison and placed the paper bag on beside it.

"We got you a chicken soup for later," he explained as she eyed the paper bag.

Vanya's mouth watered a bit. After eating the detestable oatmeal, chicken soup was a pleasant change.

Sitting beside her on the bed, Allison reached inside the plastic bag and took out a large pink container with the words prenatal on the label. Vanya gulped. Turning to face her, Allison raised the bottle so she could see it.

"Seeing as you're pregnant, there are quite a few vitamins you gotta take to keep you and the baby healthy," Allison explained, but Vanya could barely hear her, blood rushing to her ears. This was all just too bizarre.

Allison angled the pill bottle in her hand.

"So these you gotta take-"

Cut off by the creak of the door as it parted open, they all turned to look at the doorway, instantly freezing. Klaus was standing there, head tipped back and a handful of toilet paper on his bent, bleeding nose, spilling some of it on his shirt.

"What happened to you?" Asked Allison, sounding a bit concerned but mostly confused. Meanwhile, Vanya just felt guilt begin to take from inside her. She suspected what had happened.

Klaus's gaze fell on Allison for a second, as if to say, you-gotta-ask? But then went to Vanya.

"Five's doing fine, just a tad pissed off is all." He gestured with his finger, pinching them in the air, his voice sounding a little stuffy. Vanya felt the guilt twist inside her.

Allison's eyes widened.

"Did Five do that to you?"

He nodded.

"Yup. And you know I've been punched in the face many times, but man, that guy can pack a punch."

Rising to his feet, Ben shook his head and sat Klaus on the chair next to the desk. Klaus flopped back on the chair and lowered the tissues from his nose, revealing an angry bruise that was swelling into a large ball with a minor cut on the bridge, his nose crooked.

Vanya and Allison winced. That must have been some punch.

"I'm so sorry, Klaus. I didn't-"

Klaus waved her away before she could finish, giving her a toothy smile.

"Don't worry, bruises make me look sexy and mysterious."

Ben continued to check on Klaus's wound, gently tilting his head from one side to the other.

"What did you even say to him?" He asked.

Klaus shrugged.

"Nothing, just being a nice bro and asked him if he was alright, and if he nee-"

"Klaus," Allison cut him off, knowing full well he was lying. Vanya thought so too. While Five wasn't known for his patience, nor his strong connection with their brothers, she doubted he would punch Klaus this hard if he said something like that.

Klaus pursed his lips and crossed his arms.

"Alright, alright, alright…" he huffed. "I asked him how he was doing and he didn't answer, so I said he was being pissy cause Vanya put him in the doghouse, that's when he made me see stars and not in a good way."

She sighed weakly.

Once again, Vanya felt guilt rise inside her. Klaus had only checked up on five because she asked him to do so. If she had known Five would punch him in the face, she wouldn't have sent him. She clenched her teeth. Once again, someone's pain turned out to be her fault.

Ben sighed and shook his head.

"What have I said about keeping your dumb remarks to yourself?"

Klaus raised his eyes, as if deep in thought.

"That they're a big part of my lovable personality?"

Ben sighed once more and took his hands from Klaus' face as he rose to his feet.

"Your nose is broken, you should go see mom so she can straighten it for you."

Putting the tissue back on his nose, Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Wow, really? You don't say?" He drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Did you have to use your medical Ph.D. to figure that one out, Dr. Murphy?"

Vanya watched Ben as his brows furrowed, an annoyed expression on his face.

"You know what? I'm glad Five punched you in the face. It's about time someone did."

Klaus didn't argue with that.

* * *

When darkness overtook the light outside as evening came, Vanya laid down on her bed, her hands resting on her belly. After her siblings left her room, starting with Klaus then Ben, and then Allison much later, staying with her to tell her all about the pregnancy stages and what to expect, she drank her delicious chicken soup and got ready for bed. In the comfort of her own room, finally alone with her thoughts and without sadness controlling her every emotion, she began to think.

Her mind instantly went back to what Klaus said that had made her freeze.

' _You might end up falling in love with him again.'_

Could she fall in love with Five? As her, not the other version of Vanya? She truly wasn't sure. She always loved Five, and he always seemed to care more for her than he did the rest, but that was a relationship based on friendship and mutual understanding. The truth was that, as children, neither of them seem to fit in their family. Sure, they included Five in everything their siblings did, more than she was, but he wasn't like the rest. He was confident and arrogant, so much so he repelled the others. But she also suspected that he just didn't get along with them, Ben being the exception. Five was and will always be an old soul. He acted and carried himself with the confidence of an adult when he was but a small boy. Compared to him, the other must have seemed so childish. Her, on the other hand, while she didn't carry herself as he did, she was forced to look at the world with a grown-up lens. She guessed that was what appealed to him, that, in a way, they were both individuals that didn't fit in. It was the gravity that pushed them together, something she still felt to this day. It made her wonder.

That bond they had as children. Maybe it would have developed into more later on in life, there's no way of knowing, but one thing is for sure. Whatever it is this reality Vanya had with Five and however strained their relationship might be, she still cares for him. He'll always be Five, her best friend and confidant. The one she left the lights on for, as well fluffernutters, just in case he ever came back. The person she missed so much, that he left a void in his absence, a void that never quite went away. She wasn't sure what their relationship will grow into, if at all, seeing as she is pregnant with his child, but nothing could take the bond they had as kids.

With renowned confidence, she hadn't felt since she arrived, she raised herself from her bed as she made up her mind to check on him.

Exiting her room, she walked up the stairs until she stood before the door to Five's room. She felt her heart beat a little faster as it loomed over her. An hour back she had heard a thump and the creak of a bed as Five landed on it, no doubt having passed out cold. Not wanting to wake him up, she didn't knock as she opened the door.

As she tentatively entered his room she was a little amazed at how similar it was to Five's room in her reality. However, she didn't dwell on it too long as her eyes landed on the bed.

As she had expected, Five was asleep, his chest rising up and down rhythmically, lying haphazardly on the mattress, his mouth slightly open and his brows furrowed softly.

She sighed and entered the room. As she approached the bed, her nose wrinkled when the smell of alcohol wafted into her nose. Once she was by the bed, she pressed her hand on his shoulder to roll him over. Due to how much he drank, she was confident that he wasn't going to be waking up any time now.

As she expected he just grumbled softly as he let her turn him on the bed so he wasn't lying on the blanket. Once the blanket was free, she covered his body with it.

Once her work was done she stood by the bed, unable to help stop herself from small smiling as he shifted on the spot and tucked his arm under the pillow as he buried half his face in it, making his bangs flop onto his eyes, his nose crinkling.

Before she even realized it, she stretched her hand out and pushed his hair back so it wasn't poking at his eye. As soon as her hand made contact with him, he let out a deep sigh and the muscles of his neck relaxed. His reaction made her muscles tense.

"Goodnight Five," she whispered.

Giving him one last look, she turned on her heels and walked out of the room, taking every bottle, empty and full with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright cool, finally finished the rollercoaster of emotions day. So I suppose now Vanya and Five will need to figure out and fix their relationship, so that's something to look forward to.
> 
> Anyways, I really appreciate all the support and love everyone has for this story, it really makes my day to see all the kudos and comments, and people just overall enjoying this story! if I could give kudos to comments I would, but alas, I can't so thank you so much!!!!!!!!


	12. Some bonds are strong enough to withstand the test of time

02 P. A 

_post-apocalypse_

With cracked, blister covered hands he took the can opener in his thin, bony fingers and opened the last can of peaches. Careful not to spill anything as he did.

He had found the sweet treasure in a half-destroyed convenience store during his first few months of scavenging for food. All this time he’s been carrying it around, wanting to hoard it, as he did with everything, but with the expiration date fast approaching he had no choice. And besides, this was a special occasion. 

Lifting the lid, his mouth watered as he looked at the sweet syrup the peaches were submerged in. After months of surviving off of plain beans, this was a welcomed change. And yet, it was nothing compared to what he found earlier today. 

As per usual, his day started by scavenging for supplies and food. He found a couple of batteries, most of them dead, or halfway there, and some matches. When he didn’t find anything else, he went to the library. 

For the last two years, he’s been in this wasteland, the library has been his only entertainment. For, even though everyone on the planet had perished, their last words were left behind for him to read. So as the years went by, he challenged himself to read every book on every floor, no matter how dull it was, seeing as it kept him from going insane; the words giving him some company in this barren wasteland. Despite how much he read, It was just a couple of months back when he finally reached the third floor. 

Walking through the isles, eyes going from one biography to the other, he had stopped when they landed on a very familiar face that had his eyes widening, and his breath catching. 

Carefully, he placed the can of peaches on the ground next to him and raised the book to his face, eyes gazing with longing at the picture of Seven, or as she was apparently later known as, Vanya. When he had seen her face on the book, instantly recognizing her he had tripped over his feet in his haste to get to the bookshelf. 

Eyes settling on her eyes, his heart clenched at the familiarity as her warm eyes seemed to gaze at him from beyond the cover. It did not help that she looked exactly how he remembered her, with her bangs and round face, and a tender smile. Yet when he turned the book she was completely changed. It was surprising to see how different she was in her adult years, but he found she still looked more or less the same. With that same tender, half-smile on her lips. Still beautiful. 

With a look of longing covering his features, he raised his hand and he pressed it against the cover. For a second he thought he would feel her soft skin against his hand, but all he felt was the cold cover of the book. It tore at him more than it should. When was the last time he felt the warmth of another human being? 

Taking a forkful of peaches, humming with delight despite the twisting feeling inside him, he opened the book to the first page and began to read, paying attention to every letter, every word. Even when the beginning was a re-telling of their early days, something he already knew, he read it with rapt attention. However, when he reached a section about him, he leaned forward on his seat and raised his book, his eyes flying through the pages. 

_‘Maybe I’d show Five the violin piece I’d been working on for weeks.’_

_Though prone to arrogance and outbursts, even more than the average preteen, Five was my sole confidante in the years before he disappeared. It almost seemed fitting that the siblings to leave us, it would be him who I fully trusted and who fully trusted me. Five was strong and confident, always one to fight Dad’s manipulations, and that made him more extraordinary than any of my siblings.’_

For a brief second, he closed his eyes, feeling something beginning to twist inside him. When he reopened to them, he continued to read.

He read over the next few pages, dedicated to him, without skipping a beat. In some sections, he would smirk and even chuckle as she retold their funny moments together. Took a long, deep breath when she re-told the tough moments. Or smiled fondly at the re-telling of their happy moments together, those moments that were just the two of them against the world. The best of friends, the person he missed the most out of the billions of people in the world. 

‘That is who Five was, the face behind the mask, a face he rarely showed anyone, including our siblings. A part of him I find myself fortunate to have been privy of.’

His grip around the edges of the book tightened, creasing the pages. 

_‘When he left, he didn’t just leave the famous Umbrella Academy, he left me too. He left a hole felt by all of us for years to come, but by none more than I.’_

_‘As the years go by, even after my siblings have forgotten him, and he’s become nothing more than a distant memory in the public’s eye, I still think about him. I think about how he’s doing. I wonder if he’s healthy. If he’s found a new friend. If he’s still scared of the dark like he was as a child. If he thinks about us from time to time. If he’s happy?’_

Unable to read another word, he screwed his eyes shut. Baring his gritting teeth, he clenched the book between his fingers and pressed it to his forehead. The hallowed sorrow grew inside him. The only thing keeping the tears at bay was the constant voice of his father, disciplining him for crying when he was but a four-year-old. It was his oldest memory, one that stuck with him to this day. 

Moving the book from his forehead, he read over the words, _I still think about him,_ something catching in his throat as he did. 

To some stranger, even their siblings, reading this, they wouldn’t take it for anything more than a sister mourning the loss of her long-lost brother, but to them it was different. It was a little girl, missing her only best friend, her confidant, the only one that was there for her and he understood completely how she felt. In his hubris, and his quest to time travel, he didn’t just lose the academy, his brothers and sister, he lost her and with that; he lost everything. And now, they are fated to live in two separate timelines, calling out to each other but never being able to reunite. 

Forcing himself to focus on the page, he read the last part of what was the section dedicated to him, unable to keep his eyes from watering. 

_‘I do hope to see him again, however wishful that maybe, I do hope we’ll be reunited once more. The years apart wouldn’t be felt by either of us, I’m sure. Some bonds are strong enough to withstand the test of time.’_

His hold on the book loosening, it slipped through his fingers, falling on the dirt-covered floor. Unable to contain the flooding emotions, he propped his forehead on his hand and wept silently. 

03 P. A

_Post-apocalypse_

Five took out a notebook and stood across from Dolores. 

During his first few months in the barren world, he read as many survival manuals as he possibly could. Through them, he learned how to make a fire, how to find or make a shelter in the worst of conditions. How to treat wounds, what to eat, how to find freshwater, all things someone might need if one ever found themselves stranded and alone. However, it was in a particular book that went into cooping in isolation that he learned about anthropomorphizing, giving human characteristics or behaviour to an inanimate object. He had learned about it before he got stuck in the barren world but had scoffed at that idea. Just stuff crazy people did. But as he read over the manual, and how, in desperate measures, the act of anthropomorphizing an object would help in keeping him from going insane. He would have rolled his eyes and tossed out the book in the past, but even he couldn’t deny that people, even him, need interactions of some form. So after reading the book, he sought to put it into practice. What else did he have to lose, after all? 

He had looked for a while, not settling for just anything, until he found a mannequin. Thinking it would be easier with something that looked human, and someone that looked familiar, he took it with him.

It was awkward, to say the least at first. Every time he tried to talk to it he just felt like a complete fool, unable to believe that he was talking to a mannequin, imagining his siblings laughing at him if they found out. Unable to overcome the awkwardness, he forgot about the mannequin. But after weeks went by and he became progressively lonely and tired of talking to the air, he began to speak to the mannequin until eventually, he breathed life into her and he named her Dolores. 

For two years Dolores had been his only companion, taking her everywhere he went. However, when he went to the library and found Vanya’s autobiography, that list grew to two.

Lifting the notebook to his face, he counted the boxes of canned food he had left. When he wrote the number eight he grimaced and scratched the back of his head. Eight boxes were a dangerously low number. 

“We only got eight boxes left,” he grumbled, lowering his hand from his head and placed it on his hip. Turning on the spot, he faced Dolores and Vanya, both of them propped against the wall of his half-destroyed home. “I keep telling you, we have to head south before the winter comes, but does anyone listen to me?” 

In his head, Vanya was the first to answer by telling him that travelling south was dangerous, that they should stay where they know it’s safe. Her usual argument.

Five scoffed, typical Vanya. 

The next to answer was Dolores. As always, taking her side, she agreed with Vanya and he rolled his eyes. Typical. 

“I know it’s dangerous, but last year’s winter was particularly bad. If I stay here, I might just end up dying because of it.”

He wished he was being dramatic, as Dolores often said, but he wasn’t exaggerating. During a particularly harsh blizzard, he nearly died from hypothermia. He had grabbed every coat, sweater, and blankets he had and covered himself with it while holding onto Vanya in his arms. If he died then at least it would be by her side. However, when the blizzard went down, the relief he felt was such he had never felt before. After that whole ordeal, he really did not want to go through something like that again.

In his head, Vanya chided him for saying such things, telling him she didn’t know what she would do without him. She then added that they have additional measures to stay warm, that this year they’ll be safer, much safer than in the unknown and Dolores agreed. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll stay here,” he huffed when they started to speak at the same time, making his head feel like it was about to burst. 

Both Vanya and Dolores stopped talking, but he knew they were smiling triumphantly. 

Five sighed. They always had to get their way. 

37 P. A

_Post-apocalypse_

As time went by, Five quickly learned that loneliness was a bitch. 

After thirty-seven years alone, he truly thought he would go insane, craving the sound of another person’s voice, willing to give his right arm for it. It was a loneliness that stabbed at his heart with longing, but a loneliness that was made easier by his constant companion, Dolores. He used to have two companions, but now he has one.

As time went by, he progressively stopped talking to his childhood friend as things became bleaker for him. He just couldn’t bring himself to imagine her voice, albeit fake, in a place like this. Still, he kept the book on him and always protected it from the elements. When it would rain he would tuck it inside his jacket, while the rest of his books got soaked in water. If it snowed, he would keep it warm, covering it with his scarf as the three of them sat by the fire. Sometimes he would talk to her when things became hard, but not more than a few words and she never responded. 

However, when he became old and cynical, and his bones began to ache he stopped talking to Vanya all together, for no other reason than the fact that it just hurt too much. By that point, he knew he would never see her again. A realization that made his heart feel like it was being squeezed inside his chest. So he only spoke to Dolores. She, unlike Vanya, belonged in this hellish world. She understood his pain. So it was then that he decided to keep Vanya in his memory, where she was happy and safe and could give him her blissful, tender smile in the perfect past. 

Throwing the last can of beans he had, he watched as it landed on his rifle and the dark thought that made something catch in his throat slithered inside his head like a snake ready to bite. 

After years in this wasteland, with no hope, nothing to hang onto and no purpose other than to just keep going, the bullets in his rifle started to become a nice alternative. 

He gulped and balled his hands into fists. 

It’s not the first time he thought about it, to just end his torment. But like every time the thought came to his mind, ruling over every thought in his head, the voice of Vanya spoke loud and clear in his mind, bringing him some hope. 

_‘I do hope to see him again.’_

_*_

_*_

_*_

_‘See him again.’_

* * *

He woke up with a start, lurching up on the bed, taking large gulps of air as his eyes shifted from side to side from shock and panic. Within his rib cage, his heart was hammering, his chest rising up and down erratically. With wide, wild eyes he looked around the room, for a brief second confused as to where he was. It was a couple of seconds later that his mind realized that he was back at the academy, and not in the barren wasteland that was his home. 

Five groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, grounding himself. That had been the first dream he'd had of the apocalypse in years, something he did not miss one bit. 

Moving on the bed he placed his feet on the cool floor and tried to raise himself from the bed a little too quickly, instantly regretting it when everything began spinning around him. 

With another groan, he pressed his hand against his head, his face screwed into a grimace and slumped back on the bed. His stomach churn, causing bile to rise inside him.

Eyes screwed shut when he felt a stabbing pain in his temple.

What the hell did he do yesterday? It’s not like-

His eyes snapped open as his thought came to an abrupt halt, crashing like a train as everything that happened the day before came back to him as if a dam had broken from the pressure of overflowing water. 

His nose flared, and his chest raised up and down. His heartbeat quickened. He turned his head to the nightstand and his eyes landed on the delicate engagement ring there, glinting from the afternoon light like a cruel reminder.

_‘One never knows how much time one has, but I do know that I want to spend what rest I have with you. Vanya Hargreeves, will you marry me?’_

He blinked.

‘ _I’m not her, Five, and I’m truly sorry that I’m not. You deserve to be with her, to be happy.’_

Every muscle in his body coiled like a spring, as he inhaled deeply and looked to the ceiling, feeling like something was pressing down on its chest, constricting him as the words repeated inside his head. 

In his life, filled with hardships and pain, he doesn’t have a long list of happy moments. But all of them involve her one way or another. The day he proposed to her, and she tearfully said yes, was one of those happy moments he clutched between his hands and hoarded inside his memory like the most precious jewel. He thought the news of her being pregnant, that he is going to be a father, would be one of those moments that would be added to his short list. But that wasn’t meant to be. 

He clenched his jaw until it hurt. 

When he saw that she’s pregnant he wanted so damn much to take her into his arms and kiss her, to then put her down so he could kneel and kiss her belly where their child was growing. To take her to his room and make love to her, to show her how much he cared, but he could do none of those things. Instead, he schooled his face into a blank expression and dug his nails into the palm of his hand to keep himself grounded.

Five shut his eyes briefly as if closing them would make the pain go away, but it only made it worse as he kept seeing the look of pain on her face, and he, like the coward he is, just ran away. It made him grit his teeth to the point that he felt he would crack them from the pressure. 

He didn’t blame her, how could he? It wasn’t her fault; it was his. He knew this would happen, that is why he left her back then, why he wanted to put as much space between them. But after he got the memories of this five’s reality, seeing the very different yet similar struggles the Vanya of this reality had like the Vanya of his reality, his determination to stay away crumbled to pieces and it was steep downhill from there. After he asked her to stay they both had to get to know one another once more. She didn’t seem to mind the step back in their relationship, and a part of him knew that she was aware that something was up with him, seeing as he seemingly changed so much in such a quick amount of time, but she never questioned him. That only proved to make him fall in love with her more.

 _‘I know it’s difficult, but you’re unloading too much on her Five,’_ Ben had told him the day before when he told him about their conversation at Griddy’s. Ben and Allison had not been happy with how hasty he had been with her, putting too much on her already full plate. And though he understood where they were coming from, he couldn’t just lie to her. 

He sighed, feeling tired even though he just woke up. 

When he spoke to her in Griddy’s, he said that he still loves her. That wasn’t a lie. The truth is that he would love her in any reality. He loved the witty, confident Vanya of this reality that charmed him with her smile. He loved the Vanya from his reality, the one that won his heart with mere words on a paper, her words reaching him through time, giving him strength. And the reason for that is simply because it’s _Vanya._

Back when he had returned to his family in his reality, his mind was too focused, too obsessed with the apocalypse to realize that all he ever wanted was right in front of him, his family, Vanya. But when he arrived in this reality, no apocalypse to distract him, that gravity he felt whenever he was by her side pulled him towards her, willing or not. And perhaps it was selfish of him to be with her in this reality. But love is a blind thing, not ruled by logic. The more time passed, the more stupidly in love, he fell for her. It was like fighting against gravity. No matter how much he tried to stop it, he eventually caved under its weight. 

When a knock came from the door, it snapped him out of his train of thought. 

Five pulled his brows together, his jaw clenching. Anger instantly began to boil inside him and he welcomed it, letting it flood inside him. It was better than the sorrow he felt. 

“If you knock on my door again, Klaus, I’m going to cut your hand off,” he warned, fully meaning his threat. He always had fragile patience, a patience that was non-existent at the moment. 

When it wasn’t Klaus who spoke, but Ben, he snapped his head towards the door. 

“The gynecologist is here to see Vanya, I thought you might want to know.”

Without a second thought, Five spatial jumped to the door, stumbling a little before he reached for the doorknob and opened it. His eyes landed on Ben’s, standing on the other side of the doorway. It was a second later that Ben grimaced when the stench of alcohol hit him. 

“How is she doing?” Five asked, with a somewhat crazed tone. 

Ben’s expression changed from one of disgust, due to his breath, to exhaustion.

“As well as you would expect.” 

Five nodded, giving out a sigh. He could imagine. 

When Ben seemed to notice something in his features, he sighed and his eyes softened. 

“Anyways, the gynecologists should be here any time now.” Ben pointed behind him. “You coming?”

For a second he nearly nodded and stepped outside his room to follow Ben, the need to make sure Vanya and the baby were fine, driving him, but when the memory of Vanya, looking so hurt and defeated as she handed him her engagement ring, flashed in his mind he stopped. That twisting pain inside him returned at full force, nearly making him keel over. 

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his face schooled into an unreadable one.

She doesn’t want him around, could see it in the way she flinched whenever he was by her side or he so much as got too close, making his heart clench. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. He refused to make things more difficult for her. 

Grounding his feet, he took a deep breath to steady himself and proceeded to tell him every detail about her the gynecologist might need, things Vanya would not know. From her diet, sleep patterns, all the way to when she had her last period. Ben listened intently, not once interrupting him, but looking a little confused as to why he was telling him all this. 

When he finished, he tightened his grip on the doorknob to the point that it hurt.

He trusted Ben, more than he did his other brain dead siblings, except maybe Allison. And though it hurt not being there for her, knowing she doesn’t want him there, she at least needs someone. 

Eyes losing their sharpness, Five worked his jaw.

“Stay by her side, Ben,” was the last thing he told him as he stepped back and closed the door. 

Behind the closed door, he heard Ben exhale loudly but didn’t say anything as walked away. When his footsteps became more distant as he made his way down the stairs, Five spatial jumped out of his room. 

He needed to dull his mind until he couldn’t feel anything. 

Reappearing in the sitting room, landing behind the bar, he grabbed the first two bottles he could get his hand on. By the couch he felt Luther’s eyes on him, shooting him a confused, almost weary look, but Five didn’t even turn his way as he spatial jumped back into his room. 

Placing the two bottles on his desk, he took a seat and opened the first notebook he could find and began to write down equations, not at all caring that he was writing over old numbers. The equations themselves didn’t matter, it’s the act of keeping his hand and mind busy that mattered. When they were kids, Vanya used to joke that he’s weird because, while most people would listen to music or meditate when they’re stressed, he liked to occupy his mind with mathematical problems, something generally believed to be stressful. To that he would say that he’s not most people with a smirk, telling her that to him, writing equations helps him clear his mind. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case at that very moment. His mind kept going back to Vanya, making his chest constrict. 

Right now she must be in the sitting room, talking to the gynecologist, and knowing her, she must be confused and scared. That thought almost made him leave his room, but he gripped his pencil tighter and stayed rooted on the spot. She has Allison and Ben to help her out; she doesn’t need him. No matter how much he wanted to make sure they were both alright. 

Yesterday, when he saw the two lines on the pregnancy test, the first thing he felt was a deep, almost primal, sense of protection towards the baby. It didn’t matter that the logical part of his mind told him it’s not even a baby yet, just a cluster of cells, but the less rational side of him didn’t care. All he could see was the product of their love growing inside her. So when she returned him her engagement ring, the first thing his mind went to was the baby. He didn’t particularly want kids, but the thought of something happening to the baby made something twist inside him. So when she said that she was keeping the baby, a wave of relief washed over him. If she had decided to get an abortion, it would have killed him. Still, he would never stand against her if she aborted it, no matter how much it would have pained him. Because he would give her anything she wanted, because everything that is him belongs to her already, in any reality. She is the reason he is breathing; he owes her everything for that. 

Furiously writing numbers, he grabbed the bottle beside him and opened it with one hand, taking a large swing of it. His stomach instantly protested, but he didn’t care. 

Thirty minutes later, and a third of the bottle, another knock came from the door and the pen froze on the paper. This time Ben didn’t wait for him to open the door as he invited himself in. 

“The gynecologist just left,” he told him, a trace of exhaustion in his voice. 

“What did he say?” He asked, turning on his seat, his worry and distress slipping through his voice. 

Ben rolled his eyes. 

“She’s pregnant Five, not dying.” Ben closed the door behind him. “She’ll have to do a few tests, but otherwise everything should be fine.”

He barely listened to a word Ben said, focusing just on one. 

“Should?”

Once again, Ben rolled his eyes, exasperated.

“There’s no reason for the baby not to be alright Five, relax,” he pressed when Five didn’t show any signs of being convinced. 

“What else?” He asked. 

Ben walked around the desk and Five kept his eyes on him as he took a seat on the bed. 

“Well, given her symptoms, it seems that she’s between five to six weeks pregnant.” 

Five blinked.

“Five weeks?” he tasted the words in his mouth with disbelief. 

Vanya has been pregnant for weeks and he never knew? How could he not know? Especially now that he’s starting to see all the signs. In the last few weeks, she’s been feeling a little under the weather, and her period is late. It then came to him that the reason he hadn’t realized that before was because he was more focused on the reunion at Griddy’s, which only made him feel worse. 

“It’s not strange, a woman finding out that she’s pregnant five weeks into her pregnancy is normal. Some women may even find out a bit later.”

Five nodded, not convinced, beating himself over it. He should have known sooner, he’s supposed to take care of her. 

Shifting on the bed, Ben leaned back a little, looking a little nervous, and Five frowned. 

“What is it?” 

Ben sighed.

“Well,” he began, “I actually wanted to talk to you...you know about what happened yesterday?” 

For a long second Five just stared at Ben, not saying anything. 

Ben leaned forward on the bed and met his eyes. 

“How are you doing, with all of this?” He gestured at the air. 

Five didn’t answer, he simply turned back to his desk and took another large swing of the bottle. The alcohol slid down his throat, giving it a pleasant burn that dulled everything and gave him a buzz. He wasn’t drunk yet, but he’ll need to be for this conversation. He honestly doesn’t understand why everyone insists on checking upon him. Didn’t they understand that he wanted to be left alone?

“You know you promised Vanya you wouldn’t drink so-“

“Don’t,” he warned, the memory of Vanya sitting on her bed, looking him in the eyes as she returned the engagement ring flashed in his head, and he balled his hand into a tight fist. 

Yup, definitely not drunk enough to keep himself from throttling Ben if he keeps bringing her name up. 

Ben gave out a soft huff that sounded half irritated, half saddened. 

“Look, I get it, your marriage literally went down the drain, I get it,” he said as Five took another drink. “You have every reason to feel like shit, but right now Vanya needs you.”

Five snorted, the alcohol starting to get to him, making everything amusing. Everyone had a type of drunk, it just so happens that his type of drunk was the type that found everything so damn amusing.

“I’m sure she does,” he half-whispered, the pain twisting inside him. 

She doesn’t need him, doesn’t want him around. He was sure of it. And though it hurt him, if that’s what she wanted, then he would give it to her. Ben of course didn’t see it that way.

“I’m serious Five, she needs you,” he intoned, sounding a little more frustrated. “She’s in a different world, she doesn’t know what’s going on and to top it all she’s pregnant!”

When he didn’t answer, taking the pen from his desk, seeing double, and continued to jot down equations, Ben continued to speak, his voice getting progressively angrier. 

“Sure,” he began, waving his hand. “She has me, Allison and Klaus, but let’s face it. Who she needs is you.”

“Maybe not as a fiancé, but a confidant. You two were always together when we were kids, in both realities.” 

Five set his jaw, the veins on his neck stood out, his grip on the pencil tightened. Ben, however, didn’t see the signs of his anger as he continued. 

“While the doctor was talking to her, she kept looking at the archway, as if expecting you to walk in,” he growled, now on his feet and standing by the desk. “So stop wallowing in your self-pity and fucking buck u-“

Before he could finish, Five slammed his fist against the desk, releasing all his pent-up anger towards the situation, himself, and everything else on it before he hit Ben instead

The bang of the impact resonated through the room, making Ben jump a little on the spot. Meanwhile, Five didn’t so much as flinch, or move as he continued to stare at his notebook, the pain from the impact spreading around his hand with an almost pleasant burn that grounded him. 

“I understand that you get off on trying to fix other people’s problems,” Five hissed. “But stay out of my damn business, got it?” 

For the longest time, Ben just stared at him, not saying a word. Another time he might have felt somewhat sorry for losing his patience with Ben, the one person, apart from Vanya that stood by his side. But at that moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

Giving out a sigh, Ben shook his head and went to exit the room. However, before he walked out, he stopped and looked at him over his shoulder. 

“You know when you were at your lowest and even I started to give up on you, Vanya was there and got you out of that hole you dug yourself into.”

Five kept his eyes fixed on his notebook, his body tensing.

“The least you could do is be there for her now.” With that, he shut the door behind him

Just as he heard the door click shut, keeping his mind blank, Five jumped to his feet and grabbed his coat and another unopened bottle from his bed. 

He couldn’t do this right now. 

Before he spatial jumped out of his room, he grabbed a knife from the nightstand, checking the sharpness. Once he was satisfied with it, sharp enough for the task he was going to use it for, he placed it inside his pocket. With renowned energy, he spatial jumped out of the room. He was going to do something he should have done the moment he arrived; he was going to do Vanya a favour. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 90% of Five and Vanya’s problems would be fixed if they just sat and talked! But they just gotta be mutual pining idiots! Ugh! But I'm curious if you guys want to give Five a hug or smack him upside the head? I'm not quite sure myself, and I'm the writer.
> 
> Anyway, thank you all for your continued support!!! really makes my day to read everyone's comments!


	13. The first mission

_‘You have the symptoms of a woman in her fifth to sixth’s week of pregnancy.’_

Vanya closed her eyes tightly shut and took a deep breath. 

In her entire meeting with the gynecologist, she had tried her best to pay attention, she really did, but when he told her she isn’t a few days or a week pregnant, but five and possibly six, everything became static. 

After the events of the day before, she had begun to accept that this wasn’t some sort of dream, that this was real. But when she heard those words, everything crumbled around her. To hear that just made everything too real. And the worst part is that she was going through that alone.

Of course, she had Allison and Ben by her side for support, and to offer some information about her. The doctor hadn’t batted an eye when it was them who answered all his questions, nor did he ask where the father was. The man was a true professional and used to not asking personal questions that didn’t pertain to the pregnancy. It calmed her a little, but her eyes still kept shifting to the archway every few seconds. 

Despite everything, she had wanted Five there, but the fact that he wasn’t told her everything she needed to know. That he was beyond angry at her, and she didn’t blame him. How could she? If things had been different, he would have been with the other Vanya, both of them smiling with excitement as the doctor told them about all the steps they had to take instead of drinking every bottle of alcohol in the house. 

After the meeting with the doctor, Allison and Ben stayed by her side to comfort her and she appreciated their support, but at that moment she just needed some time alone. Thankfully, they didn’t seem offended as they nodded weakly and let her go.

At first, she considered going to her room, but she knew she would just lie down on the bed and start pitying herself. So she roamed the academy that was so similar, yet so different from the one she grew up in, hoping that maybe it would trigger a flashback.

When she first arrived, she hated the flashbacks of this reality’s Vanya, but at that moment she wanted them. She wanted the distraction. 

As she made her way through the hallways, passing by countless glass cases filled with memorabilia. Her eyes roamed through them. Magazines, and newspapers with her number on them, but when nothing was triggered, she kept walking. 

It still felt odd the fact that she was a member of the team. As a child, it would have been a dream come true, but at that moment it just felt weird. Like she was looking at a dream. 

She kept walking when her eyes caught on something inside one of the glass containers. Stopping mid-step, she turned and faced the container, her eyes landing on the magazine inside it. 

_‘Number Seven, the Umbrella Academy’s best-kept secret.’_

Her eyes shifted down to the picture of the magazine. She instantly recognized herself, standing in front of an airplane in the middle of a road in a city, wearing her mask. Behind her was Five, also wearing his mask, but apart from him, there was no one else. Both of them were smiling and waving at the cameras, but she had the broadest smile, showing every one of her teeth. It made her cringe a little. In her life, she was certain she had never smiled like that. 

Sliding her eyes from it, she gazed at the domino mask inside a display case, her eyes landing on the plaque under it. 

_‘Number Seven.’_

* * *

_November 13th, 2004_

Vanya was lying down on her bed, a book in hand, enjoying her few moments of peace. Beside her was Five, sitting up against the headboard, a thick textbook in his hand, his body pressed against hers due to the size of her bed. 

Neither of them said anything, engrossed in their own thing, but that only made it more peaceful. She enjoyed Five’s company, more than she did anyone else. From the moment they were mere infants they have always been friends, joined at the hip as their siblings used to tease. Except lately, being around him has become a bit of a challenge. It wasn’t because she hates him or anything like that. Quite the opposite.

It was a few weeks back, during one of their training sessions where she was partnered with him for sparring, that she found out about a recent development in her feelings towards him.

It was a simple sparring match. They weren’t competing, but this was Five. When is he not competing? Halfway through the match, when she lost her footing for a second, he didn’t hold back as he tripped her over and held her down, shooting her a smug grin. Usually, she would have been a little angry at herself for having made such a stupid mistake, but the strange, foreign emotions that flooded inside her made her mind derail and crash like a train, catching fire in the process.

She shifted a little on the bed, eyes flicking up from her book for a second, afraid that Five could somehow read her mind. When she noticed him still reading his textbook, not at all mindful of her thoughts she returned to her reading. 

In her young life, she never felt that way about a boy, certainly not her other brothers. Sure, she would sometimes think a celebrity is cute, both male and female, but she never felt the way she does with Five. With his cocky smiles and sparkling eyes...

Vanya took a deep and silent breath.

She was tempted to tell Allison, seeing as there’s something going on between her and Luther, but she was too self-conscious. Telling Five was out of the question. She doubted her feelings were mutual, and she didn’t want to damage their relationship, so she kept her lips sealed. 

Trying her best not to think about the boy beside her, lest she start blushing, she focused on the words in the book. When the mission alarm in the hallway blared, she nearly leaped out of her bed. 

Beside her, Five growled and slumped his book on his lap. 

“Wonderful,” he grumbled, annoyed, and he wasn’t the only one.

Outside, she heard her brothers and sister groan softly before jumping to their feet. No doubt annoyed that they had yet another mission, not to mention after what happened yesterday. 

Yesterday they were subjected to a rather difficult and harsh training scenario. Despite training with the others, she never got to take part in the training scenarios. However, yesterday, as they made their way to the training hall, she instantly knew something was up. 

Usually, dad would bring a few guests to watch the training scenario. They were usually politicians, journalists, film crews, sometimes important members of society who were fans of the amazing Umbrella Academy. 

Sitting above a platform, the guests and their father would watch as the scenario took place, commenting as they did. None of her siblings seem to mind, not once even realizing they were there as they focused on their task. But to her, it always brought a feeling of unease. The way they would watch with mirth and wonder, it was like they were watching circus animals perform for their amusement. Leaning back on their first row seat to watch the freaks. However, as they had walked inside the training hall, she was surprised to find no guests atop the platform. The only ones present were dad and pogo. 

She had been a little confused at first, but then dad announced she was going to be joining them in the training scenario for the first time. Upon hearing that, she couldn’t keep the excitement at bay as a smile formed on her lips. However, no one seemed to share in her excitement as dad nor anyone had said anything further on the matter as Pogo briefed them on the scenario. Once he was finished, they all nodded, and he went to take his place atop the platform to observe. 

As she took her place among her siblings, smiling at Five who smiled back at her, Pogo blew the whistle and everything quickly turned into a fiasco. 

Starting with the fact that Luther and Diego argued almost instantly, to then Luther deciding on a plan Five kept insisting would not work, but he didn’t listen. To then forgetting to include her. In no time at all, they were running around the training hall like headless chickens. 

One by one they all went down, hit by the rubber projectiles that were substituted for bullets. Focused on the task, Luther had assigned her halfway through the scenario, giving it to her offhandedly, just to give her something to do. She hadn’t noticed the rubber projectile as it hit her. On the ground, the spot the projectile had hit her felt numb from the pain. 

She watched as Five was shot down when Diego didn’t come to give him some support, as was the plan, too busy following his own plan. When Luther and Diego, the last of the team, were taken down simultaneously when they bumped into each other, Pogo blew the whistle. 

Jumping to their feet, the two hotheads began to argue. She had watched as Five got up from the ground, an angry bruise on his arm from where he got hit, and joined Diego and Luther in their yelling contest. Watching them with wide eyes, Vanya wondered how on earth they managed to stay alive this long during missions. Granted, of course, that the last few days had been more stressful than usual, putting them all on edge, but still. She thought they were more organized than this. 

After their father barked an order at them, the three of them almost instantly shut their mouths but continued to glare at each other. As their father made his way to them, she prepared for her punishment. Most of the time, when something went wrong in training, dad would blame her, but oddly enough he didn’t that time. That time he blamed all of them and punished them all as a team for it. 

After spending the entire afternoon exercising and training, they all dragged their feet back to their rooms. Her muscles, despite being long used to strenuous workouts, still felt a little sore. 

The footsteps outside the hallway snapped her out of her train of thought.

Feeling a pang of disappointment as she heard her siblings get ready for yet another mission, she sighed and remained on her bed, doing her best to focus on the book she was reading. 

It’s been two years since the debut of the Umbrella Academy, two years since the bank robbery, two years of her brothers and sister going on missions throughout the world, gathering fame everywhere they went, while she stayed behind to train to exhaustion. She didn’t care about fame or recognition, she just wanted to be included instead of being pushed to the side, isolated from everyone like some ticking time bomb. It was beyond frustrating.

“Has anyone seen my domino mask?” Asked Allison, as per usual. She was always misplacing her mask. Vanya didn’t understand how she could be so careless with it. If she had a mask, she would never misplace it.

“Out of the way!” Diego shouted as she heard him run through the hallway. 

“Stop running in the hallways, Diego!” Luther shouted in return. 

Diego didn’t seem to have even acknowledged Luther as he kept running down the hallway until he reached his room. 

Luther sighed.

“Idiot,” he whispered.

Vanya listened as the door beside her room open.

“Another mission?” Asked Klaus with a yawn. “Just great.” 

“Klaus, stop whining and get ready, we’re not going to wait for you this time,” Luther reprimanded. 

Klaus huffed softly.

“Aye, aye, captain,” he grumbled and shuffled back inside his room. 

She shook her head and turned her attention on Five, who despite hearing the mission bell didn’t make a move to get changed.

“Shouldn’t you be getting changed?” She asked, a bit of her frustration slipping through. 

Without looking away from his textbook, he had lifted to his face again; he answered.

“I don’t need an hour to comb my hair, or to put some clothes on.”

She twisted on the bed so she was facing him. 

“Liar,” she chided. “You _do_ spend time in front of the mirror fixing your hair.”

She watched with amusement as he pursed his lips. 

“Shut up,” he grumbled halfheartedly.

Vanya smirked. 

“Shouldn’t you at least get your mask?”

Five rolled his eyes and sneered. 

“I hate that damn thing.”

She sighed.

That wasn’t news to her. Five always complained about how uncomfortable and itchy the mask is, and how difficult it is to see through it. It was a pity he disliked it so much, for in the deepest, hidden part of her heart she thought it made him look cute. She didn’t know why, but it just made him seem cockier, especially as his bangs hung over the mask, and he gave out a toothy grin. 

Her cheeks tinged red at the mental picture, and thought about something else instead, like the rest of her siblings. 

She just didn’t understand how siblings act the way they did, hating their missions, complaining about them. If she was in their shoes she would be excited, no matter how tired she was. All her life she had fantasized about it. When her siblings received their tattoos after their first mission, as a sort of commemoration for having finished their training and becoming full-fledged members of the academy, she had stood to the side watching them with envy. She was certain that she wouldn’t have cried, she probably would have smiled, unable to contain her excitement.

When a firm set of footsteps made their way down the hallway, she tensed, recognizing who those footsteps belonged to. 

“There’s no need to change,” their father’s voice, though not loud, still rang through the hallway. Vanya listened as everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing, no doubt confused. The mission bell was ringing. Why would it be ringing if not to tell them to get ready for a mission?

Of course, their father didn’t deem granting them an explanation worthwhile, but what he said next still had her freezing. 

“Number Five, Number Seven, in my office.”

Her eyes instantly snapped to Five’s who was no longer reading the textbook and was looking at her in return. 

With their eyes, they communicated with one another. She asked him if he knew what was going on, but he frowned and shook his head. Unfortunately, neither of them had the chance to ask any further questions or speculate as they heard their father’s footsteps retreating to his office and they both jumped from the bed to follow. 

On their walk to the office, neither of them said a word, not with their father in front of them. Once they made it to the office, they both stood in front of the mahogany desk, both of them equally confused as their father sat behind it, his gaze on the papers lying in front of him. 

“I just received news that an airplane has malfunctioned near the coast of Florida,” he mentioned offhandedly. 

Both Five and she continued to stare at him, unsure as to what they were supposed to do with that information. Their father steepled his fingers and continued. 

“Your mission is simple, to stop it from crashing.”

It took a second for what he said to sink in, but when it did her reaction was instantaneous. 

Eyes widening, she nearly gasped when she heard the word mission, as excitement bubbled up inside her. In fact, her mind was so caught up with it she didn’t even listen to the rest. This was the moment, the one she’s been waiting for all her life. A mission where she can prove herself and do what their father told them they were born to do.

“Number Five, you will spatial jump inside the plane with Number Seven, where she will prevent it from crashing,” he commanded but she barely listened to a word he said.

Unlike her, Five didn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm as he shifted on the spot.

“With all due respect, _sir,_ isn’t stopping an airplane from crashing beyond our capabilities?” Five asked, impudence and concern dripping down his voice. “Stopping burglars is one thing, stopping a plane is another, you can’t expect us to-“

“Silence Number Five.” There wasn’t any sharpness to their father’s voice, but the commanding tone behind it had Five shutting his mouth, albeit grudgingly as his lips formed into a tight line, while she jumped a little on the spot. Her excitement dwindled ever so slightly.

“If I say you will stop a plane from crashing, you will do just that, Number Five. You will follow my orders, without hesitation, without fear, and without defiance.” Their father leaned forward on his desk. “Is that understood, Number Five?” 

Vanya watched him, the edges of her brows down-turned. She dearly hoped he would not fight their father, not again. The last time had been brutal, ending with him being sent to his room without dinner for a week as he was forced to train to the bone instead. But she also didn’t want their father to change their mind. No matter how dangerous it may seem, and far from the usual mission the Umbrella Academy got, this was still the moment she has been waiting all this time. Her first mission. 

Five worked his jaw, anger shining through his eyes. 

“Crystal, _sir,”_ he hissed. 

For a second she thought their father would reprimand him for his tone, but he raised a brow and turned his attention back on his papers. Vanya instantly deflated. 

For the next six minutes, their father gave them a bit more information about the situation. She tried to understand what their father was saying, but when he told them about the engine failure and why it happened, and the trajectory the plane was heading with precise coordinates, she looked over at Five to see if he at least understood what he was saying. Of course, being the smartest out of all of them, Five nodded and even made a few questions of his own. She was thankful he was with her, otherwise, she would have been completely lost. 

When their father finally finished his briefing, he didn’t dismiss them right away as he leaned back and reached inside the drawer of his desk. When her eyes landed on the mask between their father’s fingers, her heart constricted. 

With shaky hands, she reached out for it and took it between her fingers, almost reverently. For a moment she half expected it to weigh a lot more than it did.

Their father leaned back in his seat and looked at them both.

“This is your mission, do not fail me.” His eyes went to hers. “Especially you, Number Seven. This mission will determine your place in the academy.”

Vanya’s lip thinned, and her brows furrowed. Their father didn’t have to tell her what she already knew. This is the moment she’s been waiting for. She would not mess it up. 

With a nod, they both turned and exited the office without another word, even though she knew Five wanted to stay and say a couple of things with the way his hands balled up into fists. 

Once the door closed, Five set his jaw and remained quiet until they were a safe distance away from the office. 

Like a bomb going off, he exploded.

“That damn old man, he’s definitely gone crazy this time,” Five growled, waving his arm, frustration and anger clear in his voice. 

“It’s just another mission Five, it’s not much different from what-“

“Not much different?” He cut her off, turning his head to face her with a look of bewilderment on his face. “Vanya, he’s asking us to stop a damn plane from crashing?” 

She bit the inside of her cheek.

Of course, she understood his concern. Stopping a plane from crashing is no easy feat, and something none of her siblings could do. Not Luther, with his superhuman strength. Not Diego, with his ability to bend projectiles. Not Allison, with her ability to control people. Not Klaus, with his ability to commune with the dead. Not Five, with his ability to bend space and time to his will, nor Ben with the tentacles monster he summoned through his stomach. No, none of them could do this. Only she could, and that made it her responsibility. 

She gave out a soft sigh. 

“I can do it,” she whispered. 

Five didn’t miss a step as he shook his head and huffed.

“Vanya, your powers are incredible, yes. But you’ve done nothing like this before. Hell, this is your first mission ever, and he’s throwing you in the deep end!”

“What else am I supposed to do, Five? Let all those people die?” She asked, turning her face to look at his profile, noticing the way his jaw was set in a tight line. “If dad says I can do it, then I will. You just have to have a little faith in me, alright?”

That seemed to affect him as he deflated, and his eyes, still set on the path in front of them, softened. 

“You don’t need to prove anything, Vanya.” His tone was soft, as if pleading, a complete contrast to his usually confident voice dripping with smugness. It almost made her want to go back to their father’s office and refuse the mission if that was even a possibility. 

It was after a few seconds of utter silence, with just the sound of their footsteps surrounding them, that she finally spoke.

“I know.” She responded just as softly. 

Five let out a deep exhale and closed his eyes briefly, trying to ground himself. When they reopened she frowned when she saw the concern shining through them. 

“If for a second I notice that you can’t handle it, I’m getting us out of there.”

* * *

“Looking at old memories?” 

Vanya nearly jumped to the ceiling from shock as she was snapped out of the memories. 

Turning her head to the side, she frowned. When her sight was met with a broad shoulder, she craned her head. Luther was standing beside her, his arms folded, his gaze on the mask. 

“Sorry for startling you,” he apologized, his attention still glued on the mask.

She kept staring at him for a few seconds. It was so odd to see him with his normal body, it just surprised her, especially with the confidence he projected, the same confidence he used to have as a kid. She supposed it was because of him not having the accident. There was also the fact that this Luther and this reality’s Vanya apparently don’t have the best of relationships, and her own relationship with the Luther of her reality.

“I-it’s alright,” she assured him weakly. 

Her tone seemed to catch his attention as he tore his gaze from the mask to look down at her with a soft frown.

“You’re really not from this reality, are you?” He asked. 

She blinked and shook her head. 

Luther shifted his weight to one leg, not seeming angry or shocked by her answer.

“When Five said that you all were from another reality, I didn’t believe him,” he began, turning his attention back on the mask. “He’s not exactly the most convincing individual.”

“But now you believe him?”

Luther nodded.

“Without a doubt.” 

“Why?” 

What did she do to give herself away, in a manner of speaking? Of course, she knows she’s different from the other Vanya, and could see it in the memories, but she wanted to know what Luther found different. What Five would find different about her? 

Luther gestured at the mask with his chin. 

“You used to look at that mask with reverence.” He turned his attention back to her, his brows softening. “But the way you look at it now, with fear. It tells me all I need to know.” 

For the next minute, they both said nothing, their attention on the mask, as if it held some unimaginable secret, and it might as well be true. There are so many things she doesn’t know about this reality’s Vanya, Luther knows a lot more about her than her and she inherited all her baggage. 

Who was this Vanya? Was she happy? What difficulties did she have? What was her childhood like? Was she lonely? She doubted she was, not when she had Five by her side, her only friend. It seemed silly to feel jealous of another version of herself, but she couldn’t help the sour emotion from bubbling up within her. What she would have given up to have Five by her side. 

When Luther shifted on the spot and spoke she was instantly snapped out of her train of thought. 

“You’re pregnant, right?” 

Her reaction was the same as always, muscles freezing in place and her breath hitching. Unable to give him a confirmation, she nodded. 

Luther sighed. 

“What a mess,” he mumbled. “I can only imagine how Five’s feeling, as a father I can’t imagine no-“

“You’re a FATHER?!” She cut him off, the gears in her mind coming to a complete stop. 

Luther? _The_ Luther? The one that spent all his life in the academy and she was pretty certain was a virgin, has a child? When? How? With who? What else is different in this reality? At this point, if someone told her Klaus is running for president, she would believe it.

She watched with wide eyes as he turned to his head to face her once more, the lines on his forehead creased. 

“Yea, of course- wait, am I not a father in your reality?” 

She shook her head so fast she nearly made herself dizzy.

“Oh, I see,” he said. 

Luther reached inside his pocket and took out his wallet. From it, he grabbed a small picture and held it out to her. She grabbed it and looked down at the person in the photograph. 

It was a blond boy, no older than two, with a curious expression on his tiny face. His tender blue eyes were so much like his father’s, that there wasn’t a doubt in her he was indeed Luther’s son.

“That’s George,” he told her with a sense of genuine pride and happiness. 

“He’s beautiful,” she smiled genuinely at him, and Luther’s cold eyes, he kept looking at her with, softened and he smiled in return. 

While the news that Luther is a father surprised her, she was happy for him. It was good to see that he didn’t give up his life for the academy, something that never did anything good for any of them. Maybe this reality wasn’t so bad. 

“Who’s the mother?” She asked, returning him the picture.

“Her name is Jennifer. We’ve been married for three years,” he answered, tucking the picture back inside his wallet with care. 

For a brief second, she nearly asked what happened with Allison, but she bit her tongue. She knew next to nothing about this reality; she didn’t know if both of them felt the same way as they did in her reality. She didn’t want to inadvertently mess something up again. 

“I’m happy for you, Luther.” 

He smiled once again, but there was something there in his eyes, something she couldn’t pinpoint.

When he offered nothing on the matter, she asked him something that’s been at the back of her mind since she arrived.

“Have you learned anything about dad’s murder?”

Luther’s smile dropped from his lips as he pulled a cold and calculating expression over his face once more.

“No, every camera in the house was destroyed and the last recorded footage shows nothing,” he grumbled, clearly frustrated. “Pogo wasn’t home at the time, and mom was busy cleaning.” 

That sounded a lot like her reality. No evidence anywhere.

With a huff, he crossed his arms over his chest.

“There’s just no evidence, whoever did it knew what they were doing. And the only one that can provide us with some evidence, refuses to do so.”

“You mean Klaus?” She asked. She remembered how Luther had asked him to conjure dad in her reality, it seems he is trying to do the same here. 

At the mention of their brother, his nose flared. 

“He refuses to summon dad’s ghost to ask him what happened. No matter what I tell him, he won’t do it,” exasperated Luther as he worked his jaw. 

“Is it possible that he can’t? He has mentioned that he can’t use his powers if he’s high.” 

Luther‘s eyes narrowed. 

“I know Klaus, and I know when he’s high, and right now he isn’t.” He took a deep breath and shook his head, and his voice lowered. “I think he’s trying to hide something.”

At the accusation, Vanya’s brows shut up. 

“Are you sure? He never could keep a secret for the life of him.”

“Well, he kept the fact that he’s from another reality for seventeen years.” 

“That’s true,” she conceded.

It was a miracle that Klaus kept his mouth shut this whole time, so it would seem that he can keep secrets when he has to, but she still refused that he had a hand in dad’s death. Her mind kept going back to him holding her yesterday, trying to cheer her up. She was never close to her fourth brother, but she couldn’t imagine him being responsible for dad’s death. 

“I don’t know what to tell you, except maybe asking him yourself.” 

Luther pursed his lips. 

“I don’t think I’ll get through to him,” he looked over his shoulder to gaze down at her. “By the way, you don’t happen to remember what happened the day before dad died?”

His question was so matter-of-factly that her eyes widened, and her breath hitched from surprise, not having expected it. A sense of forewarning hung over her. 

“Do you think the Vanya of this reality was capable of killing dad?” 

For what felt like forever, he simply stared at her, as if he could look straight into her soul. When he found what he had been looking for, he shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

It should have relieved her, but those words frightened her more than anything this reality had.

When Luther noticed her expression, he formed his lips into a tight line.

“While I can’t deny the Vanya from this reality has achieved incredible feats and did noble acts of kindness, there were times I just- I don’t know… she just seemed to become a different person.” 

“How so?” She whispered, scared to know the answer.

He shrugged.

“Colder, I suppose.” 

She gulped.

“D-did her eyes turn blue?”

He frowned and nodded.

“Yea, they did.” 

The memory of her playing her violin, levitating her siblings as she sucked their energy out of them flashed behind her eyes. Her chest constricted and her throat felt like barbed wire had wrapped around it. She desperately tried to take a breath, but she kept seeing those haunting blue eyes. What if it was she who killed dad? Of course, it wouldn’t have been her, per se, but did that matter? She destroyed her world in her reality, it wouldn’t surprise her if the Vanya in this reality is also a murderer. Was she always fated to become this? A monster? 

Chest rising up and down, heartbeat quickening, she hyperventilated. 

“Is everything alright?” Luther asked, turning fully on the spot to face her. 

Vanya shook her head and gulped. 

“Yea, fine I just don’t feel well I need to…” she trailed off and walked away with no further explanation. She felt Luther’s gaze burning on the back of her head. 

She half ran, half walked as she passed through the hallways, making her way to the entrance of the academy. She knew she couldn’t leave, she just needed some fresh air. 

However, as soon as she made it to the entrance of the academy, the large imposing door looming over her, she froze on the spot when it suddenly slid open before she could reach it. 

The shock and panic from before drained out of her almost instantly. 

She just stood there, eyes wide, thinking that maybe it was an intruder seeing as no one was supposed to leave the house. But strangely enough, she stood her ground, ready to fight any intruder. A strange feeling for her, seeing as she usually runs away from danger.

Her hands balled up into fists. 

However, when the doors open and she found that it was no intruder at all but a very drunk Five. She deflated but still felt that uncertainty she felt whenever she saw him. 

Hands unclenching, she watched with raised brows as Five stumbled inside the house, his hair a complete mess, and a bottle in one hand. She was about to open her mouth to ask if he was alright when her eyes landed on his crumpled shirt, face and hands covered in blood. Her words died on her lips. 

He hadn’t even noticed her as he shuffled inside the academy. By the stench of alcohol that was even worse than the day before, he was clearly too drunk to even notice his surroundings. 

Closing the door behind him, she almost lunged to his side when he tipped to the side and fell on his ass, but she was too startled by the entire situation, especially when he hiccuped and a whiny laugh escaped his lips. 

Well shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so Luther has a son and is married but not to Allison, interesting.... 
> 
> Anyways, a bit of a filler I suppose, but some of you have been asking for Vanya's first mission and finally here it is, well the first half anyway. But of course the question, why is Five covered in blood??? Gasp!
> 
> As always, thanks to everyone for reading and commenting! I'm sending so much appreciation your way!!!


	14. Scared of the dark

June 26, 1997

**Reality A**

* * *

In the dead of night, in the large and imposing building of the Umbrella Academy, Vanya was tucked inside her blanket. Her bed was far from large, but she still looked tiny in comparison. Her legs tucked and her arms holding onto her pillow.

Outside the moon was at its apex, casting long shadows in her room. She knew it was late, and she should be asleep by now, but her eyes were wide open. 

She was waiting, as she did every night. Waiting for mom to do her last patrol around the hallways, ensuring no one was wondering in the dark. 

In her bed, Vanya listened to the faint sound of her heels clicking against the wood, counting them in order to keep herself from falling asleep. As soon as they disappeared down the hallway, a soft electrical pop reverberated from within her room, followed by a flash of blue. 

Vanya didn’t jump or make a sound, not at all startled. Instead, she lifted the blanket as an invitation. She listened to the soft, hesitant footsteps as they made their way towards her. 

The visitor didn’t say a word as he slipped inside the bed, settling beside her and laying his head on the extra pillow she had placed on the other side of the bed for him. 

In the dark, turquoise eyes met brown ones, as she gazed at Five. 

Most of the time, his expression was pulled into either a constant scowl, or a cocky, overconfident expression, but he showed neither of those at that moment. The space between his brows was slightly wrinkled, his jaw a little tense, but that is all he showed, the only signs of his fear. 

While she feared many things, the closet, her nightmares, or the monster under the bed, Five didn’t seem to fear anything, except perhaps one thing. The dark. 

Out of all the things to fear, it almost seemed silly that he, the prodigy of the family, would fear something so _silly,_ at least that’s how she knew he saw it. Of course, she didn’t judge him for it, everyone’s scared of something. 

His fear of the dark started a few months back when dad started to give him special training. Said special training involved being locked inside the training hall with all the lights off, leaving him in complete visual depravity. Their father’s logic was that, if he couldn’t see where he was going, it would improve his spatial jumps by forcing him to rely on his calculations rather than his eyes. Inside the hall, Five was instructed to spatial jump to certain parts of the hall without being able to see where he was going. She could only imagine how hard it was. And the worst part was that he couldn’t leave if he didn’t complete the exercise. 

Five would spend hours at a time in there, his spatial jumps getting more and more frantic as time passed. Sometimes, when dad would leave the training hall, she would sit by the door, listening to the electrical pops that his power made. Whenever she heard him crashing against something, or let out a fearful sound she would grimace and press her hand against the door. When he finally completed the exercise, his hair would be dishevelled, his eyes wide with fear as his body shivered. It hurt her to see him go through that training. 

The first night he went through it, he came to her room and she thought nothing of it. It’s far from the first time he’s come to her room, or she went to his. But when she noticed the way he stared at their darkness in her room, with frightened, hesitant wide eyes, she knew he had developed a fear of the dark. 

As they laid beside each other, neither of them went to sleep right away, opting to look at the other instead. 

She knew he hated his fear, and would rather die before one of their siblings found out about it, but she thought that was silly, everyone’s scared of something. 

She leaned her head from her pillow to better look at him.

“It’s ok to be scared of the dark,” she whispered, her voice coming out a bit louder in the quiet room. 

As expected, Five crushed his brows together. 

“I’m not scared of the dark!” He huffed. 

She didn’t argue with him, she simply tilted her head.

“I’m scared of the dark too,” she admitted, hoping that maybe if she fears it, then he won’t feel as self-conscious about it. Everyone’s afraid of the dark at some point. 

She didn’t wait for his reaction or answer, as she felt sleepiness sweep over her. 

Closing her eyes, she nuzzled her nose against the pillow, ready to go to sleep when Five suddenly reached out and took her hand inside his. She simply let him hold it tight, like a lifeline, knowing that it calmed him, much like hugging her teddy bear calmed her when she was scared. She also liked the feel of his warm hand against her’s, it made her feel less lonely. 

* * *

Mouth open, Vanya watched as Five swatted his hand in the air, trying to find something to hold on to. When his palm landed on the doorknob, he took a hold of it. He pulled himself back on his feet with great effort, seeing as his body kept tilting from side to side, but as soon as he was on his feet he lost his footing and he fell back. 

Vanya took his state. His clothes covered in blood, not his own by the looks of it, and his clear drunkenness. He looked like some serial killer taken right out of a movie, not to mention the total mess he was, nothing like his usual, regal self. 

Unable to come up with words, still too shocked, she just stayed rooted in the same spot.

Five roamed his eyes around the foyer with drunken interest. When his eyes finally landed on her, blinking twice to focus them, his lips curled into a toothy grin. 

“Hi, sweetheart.”

If he wasn’t covered in blood, and looked and smelled like he just came out of a dumpster, she might have reacted to that smile. 

“Five,” she gestured at him. “What happened?”

He lifted his eyes to the ceiling, as if deep in thought, then back to her. 

“You know... I can’t remember,” he chuckled as if it was the most amusing thing ever. 

“You’re drunk,” she said, with a hint of irritation. 

Why did he have to do this? Hurting himself like this? For a man so brilliant, he sometimes could be so dumb. 

He pointed a shaky finger at her as he tried to lift himself to his feet once more.

“I’m not dru-“ before he could finish he fell back on his ass with a humph. “Ok... I’m drunk.” 

She sighed and shook her head. For a team of so-called superheroes, her family could be quite the handful. 

As she walked up to him, he kept his eyes on her. When she reached him and offered him her hand, she thought he would pull her down to him, but he grabbed her hand and accepted her help. The first thing she noticed when her hand grabbed his, was how warm it was, not to mention the caked blood that made her grimace. 

As soon as he was on his feet, swaying from side to side but not falling over, she exhaled and let go of his hand, missing the contact almost instantly. 

Her eyes narrowed when she saw the blood splattered on his face. 

“We should problab-“

Before she could finish, and before she could even see it coming, he practically lunged at her as he wrapped his arms around her and took her into a hug. Vanya froze like a statue. 

“I miss you,” he mumbled against her shoulder, his voice muffled. 

If it wasn’t for the horrible stench of alcohol that permeated from him and wafted into her nose, or the blood he was getting on her, she might have hugged him back. His arms, despite everything, felt so familiar and warm, like home. For half a second, she sank into a hug but then sighed and gently pushed him away. 

For a second she thought he wouldn’t let go, as his hands splayed on her back and his fingers curled, but then he let go of her and stepped back, albeit a bit unwillingly. 

At arm's length, they both gazed up at each other’s eyes, turquoise with brown. Though he was inebriated there was a sharpens behind the haze, a hint of the pain he tried to stump down with alcohol. It made her heart clench, but then she noticed the blood again. 

Before her father's death, the sight of blood would have horrified her, but after everything she’s done, she found herself numb to it. What is a little blood when she has the blood of millions in her hands? 

Of course, she wanted to know who he killed, or hurt but she doubted she was going to get any answers now, and she just couldn’t leave him like this. He hasn’t changed clothes in three days, he’s covered in blood and the stink of alcohol in him was so bad it made her gag. Not to mention the puppy-like innocence he was looking at her, screaming, please _take care of me,_ something she hadn’t seen in him, ever. 

Giving out a sigh, she grabbed his hand, the connection like a spark, but she brushed it away. 

“Come with me.” 

He didn’t say a thing or argued as he followed her, shuffling his feet as he did. 

Halfway to their destination, she was already exasperated. 

It took her eight _minutes_ to go from the foyer to the bathroom. Because Five kept losing his footing or losing his balance. It was a miracle he didn’t suffer a concussion with all the times he fell and nearly banged his head against the stairs, the walls, or furniture. The most frustrating part is that he kept laughing every time he fell. Never in her life did she think Five would be a happy drunk, but she supposed it made sense. Alcohol always brings out the most repressed part of everyone. 

Once they made it to the bathroom near their rooms, thankfully not bumping into anyone seeing as it was late, she pulled Five inside. After she closed the door, she deposited him on the toilet where he sank like a sack of potatoes and pressed her back against the door and looked anywhere but him. Realization hitting her.

What on earth was she doing here? Sure, she brought him here because she couldn't leave him there, in that state where he could probably hurt himself. But then what? It’s not like she could bathe him! 

Inhaling, she tried to keep herself level headed. Why did she have to keep finding herself in situations like these? 

With Five in this state, he couldn’t be left alone. She thought about calling one of their brothers to deal with him, maybe Ben or Luther, but they might all be asleep, or who knows where in the academy. She didn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone either. She considered telling him to bathe himself and leaving, but with how drunk he was, he’s more likely to drown himself. He could barely walk up the stairs, for crying out loud. 

Before she could think of alternatives, a loud thump came from where Five had been sitting, followed by a chuckle. When she turned, she facepalmed when she found him on the floor next to the toilet, arm resting over the ledge of the bathtub, laughing as if it was the most amusing thing. 

What did she ever do to deserve this? 

Vanya took a deep breath. She had to look at this logically. 

She knew she definitely couldn’t leave him for longer than five minutes, and she can’t just leave him like this. Leaning her with no other choice. She’ll have to bathe him. 

She reddened and gulped at the thought. She tried to assure herself that it doesn’t mean anything. She’ll just be bathing her best friend. Best friends do that, right? That’s totally normal. 

Taking another long deep breath, she stepped towards Five before she lost her nerve. 

From the floor, Five looked up and tilted his head to the side. Vanya bent down and pulled him to his feet with great difficulty, seeing as he is a lot taller and heavier than her. She didn’t explain what she was going to do, not that his inebriated mind would have understood anyway, and raised her hands to his tie, making short work of the knot. 

Five just stood there, swaying from side to side. Though her attention was on his tie, she could feel his eyes burning holes into the top of her head, making her heart race a bit. 

Slipping the tie out of the collar, she let it drop to the floor and took a deep breath when her eyes landed on the buttons of his shirt. 

This doesn’t mean anything, she just can’t leave him in this state, wearing three day’s old clothes covered in blood. She was just helping him; she kept telling herself. 

Raising her hand, she slowly popped the first bottom on the collar and exhaled, then inhaled, and proceeded to the next one. He is so much taller, looming over her, their height difference somehow made things worse. Not to mention that he had to get the wrong idea.

“You’re wearing too much, sweetheart,” he slurred, raising his uncoordinated hands to her shirt. Blushing a deep shade of red, she swatted it away. Five gave out a disappointed groan. 

Once she unbuttoned all the buttons, with clinical precision, she stopped herself in thinking too far into it, and untucked his shirt from his pants and slipped it off his shoulder. Without a shirt covering his body, before she could stop herself, she roamed her gaze down his body in the corner of her eye. 

Patches of blood that seeped through the shirt, stained his pale skin like red paint on an empty canvas. Littering his torso were old, half faded scars that caught her attention like the first day she arrived in this reality. Intrigued by them and their history, she nearly pressed her hand on a rather large one on his rib cage when she caught herself. 

_‘Focus_ ,’ she chided herself. Five, on the other hand, didn’t seem at all affected as his eyes wandered the bathroom with sudden great interest. 

Taking a deep breath, she proceeded to unbuckle the belt. Once she removed everything but his boxer briefs, she sighed and turned to face the bathtub, leaving him standing there.

Turning the faucet for warm water, she placed the plug on the drain and waited. She considered drawing him a cold bath to get rid of the inebriation, but that would be cruel. 

Once the tub was filled, a bit of steam coming out of it, condensing on the walls. She turned to face him when her eyes landed on him and she nearly choked on her own saliva. 

“Jesus!” She exclaimed and averted her eyes, cheeks burning. 

Five was still standing before her, but at one point he had decided to take off his boxers, leaving him completely naked. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was completely comfortable with his state of undress, not at all noticing her shock. 

Vanya closed her eyes, but the image was burned into her memory so she quickly opened them. That was more of him than she was comfortable seeing. 

With great difficulty, as she refused to face him, she grabbed his hand and managed to get him inside the tub. As soon as he sunk in, water splashed a bit, getting a bit of it on herself seeing as he had practically thrown himself inside. 

She grabbed the shampoo and practically poured half the content into the water to create bubbles. Only after the bubbles had formed, and covered everything under the water did she feel comfortable turning her head to face him. Her embarrassment and the tiny bit of anger drained out of her when she saw him. 

She almost grinned at how ridiculous he looked. 

Cheeks and nose a rosy pink from the alcohol and the heat of the bath, his hair a complete mess, flopping down his forehead, a lopsided grin on his lips. He looked so young and carefree, even if it was brought on by alcohol, it was like seeing the boy she remembered, her best friend. It almost made her look past the blood splattered on his face, almost. 

Giving out a sigh, her gut twisting at what he was up to outside the academy, she knelt by the bathtub and tentatively reached out to him. Smile falling ever so slightly, his eyes zeroed in on her hands as she took a handful of the water between her hands, some of it escaping through her fingers before she poured it over his head. Before the water hit him, he closed his eyes tightly shut and braced himself.

Leaning back a bit, she placed her hand on the edge of the tub. 

He looked like a wet, grumpy cat as his lips downturned, formed into a pout, trickles of water sliding down his damp hair. A giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it, making her bite her lips shut soon after. But the way he brightened up, the edges of his lip curling, she shook her head and poured more water into his hair. 

After his hair was sufficiently wet, she poured some shampoo into her hands. With a deep breath, she leaned in and washed his hair. 

When he was young, his hair was a particular weakness of his. He didn’t like anyone touching it, except of course her. Despite his old age, it seemed to still be a weakness of his, as he leaned back on the tub and his body relaxed, eyes closing, practically purring like a cat. She relaxed a bit at that. 

It was a laborious task, but once she got all the grime and blood from his hair, sure that she had even gotten some human skin too, she proceeded to clean his face. 

She lathered her hands before pressing them to his face. 

It was a little strange; she was so used to seeing him so young, both from when he came back, and in her memories, it was odd to see him all grown up. Of course, she knew he wasn't a boy, that much was obvious. But the realization hadn’t hit her so strongly until she felt the light stubble rasping her palm when she cleaned the dry blood off his jaw. 

Once his face was squeaky clean, no sight of blood on him, she leaned back a bit and took him in. 

In these few days, she hadn’t realized how much he had aged. From his strong, sharp jaws to his smooth cheeks devoid of any baby fat, he looked completely changed, but at the same time not at all. His eyes, the ones that seemed to look straight at her soul, were still the same ones from her childhood and that made her chest clench. 

Clearing her throat, she slipped her eyes from his and grabbed the shampoo again. Pouring a handful in her hands, she stopped and hesitated, eyes fixed on his pectorals and she gulped. They were just so daunting. 

She wished she had a rag, maybe even a bar of soap, something to separate her hand from his skin. So taking a deep breath, she gathered as much courage, telling herself that she was only washing him and not to make a big deal out of it. She placed her hands on his shoulders first. 

As soon as she made contact, her hands seemed to burn, every muscle in her body coiled. Five, on the other hand, couldn’t be more at ease as he hummed under her, and sank further into the bath, placing his arms in the bathtub's ledge. For a few seconds, she just stayed there, frozen, until she shook her head and forced herself to focus on his hum, the sound he made deep in his chest thrumming inside her. 

Cheeks red like a tomato, she washed his torso, doing her best in moving her hand as quickly as possible, not spending anywhere too long. But despite that, she couldn’t help but marvel at how firm and defined his pecs were. He wasn’t bulky like Luther, or maybe even Diego, but what he lacked in mass he made up in defined lines of muscle, devoid of any fat.

For a second her mind slipped from her as she spent a little too much time in one area, and she nearly hit herself.

 _‘Focus_ ,’ she told herself again. 

Once his pecs were clean, she took another deep breath to clean his abs and dipped her hands into the water, staying far away from anything else. That was when Five hummed and leaned forward, his Adam’s apple bobbed. 

“You should join me,” he purred huskily against her neck, his nose a hair away from touching her skin. His lips parted, breathing softly against her neck, which might have made her toes curl, had he not have such a terrible breath. “I can make you feel so good.”

When he pressed a sloppy, open-mouth kiss on the little dip where her jaw and ear met, she softly pushed him away. Five pouted at her, and she wanted to be angry at him, for getting drunk, putting her through this and making things more difficult than they needed to be, but his boyish expression was so adorable, sending a feeling of nostalgia running through her, she forgot about her anger and discomfort and continued to wash him. 

She proceeded to wash his legs and feet, bending them up and out of the water as she did. Of course, she stayed away from his private areas. There was only so far she was willing to go. 

Once he was clean, she pulled the plug, and the pink water drained. Averting her eyes, she held out a towel for him. Thankfully, he didn’t make a fuss as he raised himself from the tub and stepped into the towel and she wrapped it around his waist. 

Grabbing another towel, she dried his body and hair, ruffling it. When she lowered the towel, revealing his head her lips twitched at his spiky, messy hair. It brought a memory of the onetime, mom took them to the beach when they were little and she helped him dry his hair. Just like the Five standing before her, the five in her memory had smirked boyishly at her. 

Seeing as she didn’t have any clothes for him, and she couldn’t leave to grab some, not when he’s still very much drunk, and could slip and break his head open, she grabbed his hand and led him out of the bathroom but only after she brushed his teeth. 

When the door closed behind her, she froze.

By this point, Vanya shouldn’t be surprised by her bad luck, but as soon as she exited the bathroom with a half-naked Five, covered only by a towel, she was very surprised when she came face to face with who else but Klaus. 

For a second, she and Klaus froze, not having expected the other, but when her brother’s eyes drifted from her to Five who loomed behind her, his eyes widened as amusement and shock danced behind them. 

Vanya groaned. 

“Oh, my!” Klaus gasped, covering his mouth, scandalized. “You know, when I said you might end up falling for him again, I didn’t expect you to work on it so quickly!” He exclaimed. 

Vanya just stood there, her cheeks flaming red, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water to explain herself. Meanwhile, Five didn’t even seem to notice Klaus as he was more interested in her hair. 

Klaus stepped towards her and patted her shoulder as if to congratulate her.

“You work fast, dear sister, you make me proud!” Klaus gushed and winked at her before walking away. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, you rascals!” He shot back, and Vanya closed her eyes, sure her cheeks couldn’t get any redder.

He was never going to let her live this down. 

Behind her, Five rested his chin against her shoulder and pushed her back on him so she was flushed against him. His hands splayed on her belly with a gentle touch, making her freeze. 

“You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.”

Vanya huffed, now completely done with Five.

After getting him to his room, there came the toughest part. 

Finding a pair of boxers and sweatpants inside a duffle bag he no doubts brought from _the_ apartment, she held them out to him and told him to put it on, not looking at him. Of course, Five never made things easy, especially not when he was drunk. 

Taking a step towards her, he spoke with a husky voice. 

“I have a better idea. Why don’t we go back to your room and you put on your old academy uniform? I bet it still fits you perfectly.” 

“Five!” she admonished, her cheeks reddening to the point she thought all her blood had gone to her face, and she was going to pass out any minute now. If dying of mortification was a thing, she was sure she’d be dead by now. She truly hoped he remembers nothing, otherwise, she can never look him in the eyes.

“Just put the clothes on, _please_ ,” she stressed the please, and that seemed to work as he sighed and took the clothes from her. 

After slipping into his boxer briefs and sweatpants, she turned to face him, her shoulders falling upon seeing him dressed again. She was glad that was over. 

She gestured at the bed, telling him to go to sleep in a motherly manner. But again, he could never make things easy. 

Sitting on the bed he kept shaking his head like a little kid, testing the last bit of patience she had left. The worst part was that he managed to get a hold of her hand when she got too close, refusing to let it go, fingers wrapped around it as if it was his lifeline.

“You need to sleep,” she told him as if she was speaking to a child rather than a sixty-seven-year-old man in the body of a thirty-year-old man.

“Not without you,” he protested stubbornly, sounding a lot like his thirteen-year-old self. 

“Not without you,” he repeated more softly as if the thought of her leaving hurt him.

She sighed.

“Five- “

“No,”

She nearly stomped her foot from frustration but settled with pursing her lips. She knew that if she wanted to, she could easily force her hand from his, but she couldn’t. Not with the hint of fear in his eyes only she could notice, and the way he was holding onto her hand, as well as the familiar contact, it all reminded her of those times he would come to her room because he feared the dark. 

She sighed for the hundredth time that evening. He always had to get what he wanted.

“Fine, but no hugging,” she told him.

The way he brightened up and gave her a fervent nod, causing his hair to flop up and down, almost granted him a smile from her. Once again, she couldn’t help how young he seemed.

Finally, lying down on the bed, while maintaining his hold on her hand, he made space for her, looking up with wide, still hazy eyes. She didn’t argue and refused to consider all the tension and the fact that she’s pregnant with his child and that she had taken the woman he loved from him. Maybe this is what she needed, some rest. To just let go and not think too much about it. He’s still her best friend after all, or so she hopes he still is. 

Settling beside him, she laid down as far away from him as possible, slipping her hand under the pillow and turning her back to him. All for naught because as soon as she was settled, Five twisted on the spot behind her and before she knew it, he wrapped his arms around her, tenderly splaying his fingers over her belly, and sighed. 

She found she was too tired and annoyed to react with shock, as she usually did whenever he made contact with her.

“Five, what did I say?” She asked. 

He didn’t seem to have heard her as he nuzzled his nose against her hair. 

“I love you,” he mumbled against her ear.

That made all the anger and annoyance drained out of her almost instantly. She remembered how those simple three words, the ones he told her at Griddy’s, so sure and firm, caused them so much pain and heartache this past couple of days she tensed up, feeling like something caught in her throat.

She wanted to tell him it wasn’t true, that it couldn’t be true, but as soon as those words left his lips, he began to snore softly, telling her he finally fell asleep. 

Focusing on his snoring, and the gentle rhythm of his heart, she let the exhaustion take her. Far too tired to let doubt dominate her.

For that moment, she allowed herself to accept those words, even though they were the words of a drunk man. Maybe it was pathetic, but she’s only ever heard those words a handful of times, and not once had they been genuine. For once, she wanted it to be. 

She sunk into his hold, finding comfort in his warmth. 

Tomorrow they can go back to normal and have a very thorough interrogation as to where he was, and what he did. But for now, she’ll allow herself this. 

After all, this was the closest she’s felt to home since he left all those years ago. Less lonely. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so a bit of a tender, funny chapter I bet no one expected their reunion after the break up to go down like this. But don't worry, they'll be back to pining idiots in no time! And Vanya definitely deserves to hit Five upside the head after this. The next chapter is going to be interesting!! 
> 
> So anyway, thank you so much for your comments and for reading this chapter!!! Really appreciate everyone's continued support ☺️


	15. The mistakes we've made

Vanya wrinkled her nose as the rays of the sun hit her face, waking her up. 

Giving out a hum, she nuzzled closer against her soft pillow, utterly in bliss. She was sure she had never been this comfortable before. She was toasty warm. The radiating warmth behind her was pleasant, making her press herself further into it, chasing more of its warmth when it suddenly shifted a little and grumbled and her eyes snapped open. Everything came rushing back to her.

Five coming home drunk, her taking him to the bathroom, removing his clothes, bathing him, and slipping into bed with him. The memory was so bizarre; it felt like it was a dream rather than reality. The only thing that convinced her otherwise was the body against her back. 

Behind her, Five had his arms around her, his body covering most of hers, which wasn’t that hard. His hand was resting over her bare stomach, having pulled up the shirt at some point in the evening, leaving her belly exposed. 

Vanya gulped and felt cheeks redden, but she didn’t make a move to get out of his hold. 

Although it startled her to wake up like this, and it should have felt awkward and seriously uncomfortable to be so close to him, she couldn’t help but sink into him and sigh. Given the rays of the sun, she had only slept a few hours but she felt so rested, more than she'd felt in days. It felt strange, but being in his arms felt like home. The first time she’s felt that in this strange reality. And it seems she wasn’t the only one. 

She knew Five had hardly slept these last couple of days, could see it in the dark bags under his eyes, so she knew this was the longest he had slept with the way he was snoring and so completely at ease. Despite the situation, she couldn’t help but feel happy for him. He needs his rest.

For the next few minutes, she allowed herself to enjoy the moment, soaking up the warmth. After ten minutes, and nearly falling back asleep, she knew she couldn’t stay forever. So with a sigh, she untangled herself from Five with great effort. The only sign of him having noticed her absence was the slight wrinkling of his nose, and a soft, persistent frown but otherwise remained asleep. 

Leaving the room, she made her way down the stairs and through the hallways, thankfully not bumping into anyone, especially Klaus, and entered her room. There she got changed and threw the blood-covered clothes from yesterday into the hamper. After fixing her hair, she made her way to the kitchen, once again thankful not to bump into anyone, and once again, especially Klaus, it’s way too early to deal with him. But then again, the early hour is probably why she hasn’t seen him, it’s likely that he’s asleep. 

After making herself breakfast and taking her daily vitamins, and then feeling her usual upset stomach that nearly had her running to the bathroom to vomit, she went to the dispensary. Without even realizing it, she took out a bag of bread, a jar of peanut butter and marshmallows. It was only halfway through grilling the fluffernutters when it hit her. She was making Five’s favourite food, the one she used to make him when they were kids, and she used to leave out for him when he left. 

Feeling a pang of nostalgia and sadness, she gazed down at the two fluffernutters cut vertically, rather than diagonally, the way she knew he liked it. 

It’s been so long since she’s made a fluffernutter. She liked them when she was a kid, but after Five left she never could bring herself to eat one, promising herself that the next time she ate one would be if he ever returned. 

Despite being full, and having an upset stomach, she made another fluffernutter for herself and exited the kitchen with a glass of water, coffee and the two dishes floating behind her. After she had wondered how she was going to bring all this stuff to Five’s room, she thought about using her powers. She wasn’t too sure, but just like the first time she tried using them in this reality, everything just clicked. It still felt surreal to be able to use them without the overwhelming power that surged inside her, threatening to destroy everything around her. 

Once she arrived at his room, it relieved her to find him still asleep, snoring softly and hugging the pillow she had rested her head on, getting drool all over it. 

Lips quirked up into a tiny smile as she made her way to the nightstand and placed the two plates, coffee and water there. 

Taking a seat on the chair by the desk, she leaned back and watched him. Her smile fell as she thought about the event from yesterday. 

Despite all the trouble, he made her go through yesterday; it still bothered her why he was in that state, covered from head to toe in blood. She wasn’t a fool; she knew Five is no angel. He told her about his work in the commission. And while she didn’t judge him, much less with all the blood she has in her own hands, it still unsettled her a bit. Especially when she might have been the reason he went out to kill someone. 

She clenched her jaws and balled her hand into a fist. Yet another thing she messed up in this reality. Before her arrival, Five probably hadn’t killed one person.

After a minute had passed, and the smell of coffee permeated the room, Five shifted his nose wrinkling, seeking the smell of coffee. Not opening his eyes, he sat up on the bed, placed his feet on the floor and winced from the cold. Giving out a groan, he scrunched up his face and pressed a hand against his temple to no doubt ease the mother of all headaches he must be having. 

Vanya watched him when he finally opened his eyes. He didn’t meet her gaze right away, but once he felt her eyes on him, he snapped his head in her direction, making her jump a little on the spot. 

For a little while, they both just stared at each other, both a bit shocked.

“Vanya?” He asked confused, clearly not having expected her. 

Vanya shifted on her seat. 

“What do you remember?” She asked, going straight to the point. 

Five furrowed his brows as he usually did when he was deep in thought. 

“Not much I-” he grumbled, disoriented. 

Before he could finish he glanced down at himself, noticing that he was wearing different clothes and the smell of soap that clung to him. She watched as the gears turned in his head. He blinked, then raised his eyes back to hers. 

“Did you...?”

Vanya blushed, that was all the answer he needed. 

Expression changing to one of genuine guilt and embarrassment as the tips of his ears turned red, he drew a deep breath. 

“Fuck, I’m sor-

“How about we eat before we get into what happened yesterday?” She cut him off, not wanting to tackle that topic just yet.

For a second she thought he would refuse, as he usually did whenever someone told him what to do, but he worked his jaw for a second and nodded. 

Turning his attention to the nightstand, she observed as his eyes landed on fluffernutters. For a brief second the corners of his lips quirked up a bit, but she also noticed the flash of something she could not quite place. Pain perhaps? She wasn’t sure. 

Five leaned forward and took the plate from the nightstand. He took the sandwich between his hands, but before he took a bite, he looked at her.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked, gesturing at the other plate on the nightstand with his head, sounding a little hesitant. 

Eyes going from him to the plate, she considered it for a second before she rose to her feet and grabbed the plate before settling beside him on the bed. 

For a long second, they both just sat there. An uncomfortable silence hanging above them, stinging her a little. She never thought she would be this nervous around the one person she cared about the most.

Five was the first to break the awkward silence as he raised his fluffernutter to his lips and took the first bite, humming so softly that if she didn’t have an incredible hearing, she wouldn’t have been able to pick it up. 

Following his example, she took the sandwich and ate it. When the marshmallow and peanut butter mixture hit her tongue, she hummed but had to chew a little heavier to get through the stickiness. 

She found herself relaxing with every bite, her shoulders losing some of their prominent tension. She liked this. It reminded her of those times she would sit with Five in the kitchen when they were kids, eating fluffernutters with a tall glass of milk. It also reminded her of how easy it was to talk to one another, how they would tease, or talk about their problems. It made something twist inside her when she wanted to break the silence but came up blank. 

Once she finished her fluffernutter, but Five still had one left to eat, she considered getting up. With all this sugar, she desperately needed a drink of water or something to get the sugar out of her mouth. 

When he took a sip of his water and offered it to her, her brows arched a little, astonished. Five wasn’t big on sharing, never was. Out of all their siblings, he was the most selfish. She recalled how he would hog his favourite toys, snapping at any of them if they so much as touched them. Of course, she was always the exception. Ever since she could remember, they were close. He wouldn’t treat her the same manner he treated everyone else, treating her with patience and acceptance. With her, he didn’t seem to mind sharing his toys, or anything that was his. She remembered how he would offer her one of his favourite toys when she cried. The memory almost made her smile.

Turning her eyes from the glass to his face, watching his eyes as they shifted from one side of her face to the other, he gave her a knowing look, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. 

Grabbing the glass she took a sip of the refreshing water, washing the sweetness from her mouth. 

She bowed her head slightly in thanks and returned him the glass, neither of them said a word. 

As she waited for him to finish eating, her eyes wandered around the room she didn’t have the chance to look at last night with all her attention on Five. 

Seeing as Five never left in this reality, his room didn’t look like that of a thirteen-year-old like it did in her reality. The wallpaper wasn’t that of toy cars, but beige, adorned with a large poster of the periodic table. But apart from that, everything else was left unchanged. The same desk was still there, with various books and papers laid haphazardly on top of it. His bed was also bigger, with a dark grey comforter. 

For the next several minutes she just sat there in silence, waiting for him to finish his sandwich, enjoying the calm before the storm. Once he took the last bite of his sandwich and put the plate back on the nightstand, and drinking the last sip of his coffee, he sighed and turned his attention back to her. 

Her body tensed. 

There was a slight frown in his brows, uncertainty dancing in his eyes. 

“I suppose you want to know what I was up to last night.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. 

Five tapped his finger against his lap, the sound too soft for anyone else, but deafening to her. He worked his jaw, and she could partially see the way the gears turned in his head, formulating an answer, no doubt trying to find a way to lie to her. 

She knit her brows together. That just won’t do. 

“Who did you kill?” She asked softly, going straight to the point. 

For a quarter of a second, his eyes widened a bit, a little taken aback, but then they regained their composure soon after as he schooled his face into an unreadable one. 

“Nobody that didn’t deserve it,” he responded vaguely, a sharpness to his tone. 

Her nose flared ever so slightly as she tried to keep her composure. 

“That’s not what I asked.” She swallowed and asked again, more quietly but at the same time with more force. “Who did you kill?” 

It seemed like ages passed as they both stared at each other, neither so much as breathing. His brows were knit together, his jaw clenched, hands balled up into fists, his shoulders tensed. Given his reaction, she feared the answer. Whoever he killed, it had to be someone she knew, otherwise, he wouldn’t be acting like this, and though she had already come up with the answer, she didn’t want to admit it to herself, not until she heard him say it. 

It was after what felt like an eternity, that Five finally spoke, his tone low and cold.

“Harold Jenkins.”

When she heard the name, it was like a bucket of ice water was dumped on her, making her body tense up and the air to leave her lungs. For the longest time, she just froze on the bed, something twisting in the pit of her stomach, throat closing up. Memories of Leonard came flashing back to her. Of their time together, of her so naively trusting him, of him using her, trying to turn her against her family, planting the seed of doubt in her. 

Ever since her arrival in this new reality, her mind has been occupied with the strangeness or everything, not to mention the pregnancy and Five. She’s only thought about the events of her own reality a handful of times, and now that Five mentioned that name it’s like a door had opened and she couldn’t close it now. 

Heart beating faster, she balled her hand into a fist. On the nightstand, the water inside the glass rippled ever so slightly, the only sign of her power slipping from her impeccable control in this reality. 

Five didn’t seem to notice her reaction, his attention on his hands. And now that the secret was out, it all came pouring out, with a cold, almost terrifying tone to his voice. 

“When I arrived in this reality, I knew he had to be dealt with at some point or another, but I never seemed to find the right time,” he told her, his thumb tapping against his hand. “But when you arrived I knew I needed to act, so I went looking for him yesterday after I spoke with Ben and you know where I found him?”

Five gave out a bitter chuckle, devoid of any humour. She didn’t ask, far too shocked. 

He shook his head, and his grip on his hands tightened. 

“He was outside the academy, spying on us, waiting for the perfect time to strike,” he practically whispered barely restrained anger in his voice. “So I knocked him out and took him to his cottage where-“

“You killed him,” she finished for him, unable to keep the disbelief from her voice. 

He set his jaw and nodded. 

“Yes,” he admitted.” 

She should have been glad that Leonard is dead, that he won’t be tormenting her or her family in this reality, and a small part of her did, but she couldn’t, at least not entirely. Her emotions were far too mixed, clouded by her emotions on other matters, mainly on the fact that Five killed someone that has done nothing to her in this reality. 

in the corner of her eye, she watched as Five’s eyes darkened as he stared at the wall as if he was looking beyond it. 

“I killed him, Vanya, and I did it agonizingly slow,” he admitted, his voice flat. “I made him suffer as much as I possibly could before I finally killed him.” 

A deafening silence hung above them. The only thing she could hear was the sound of both of their hearts hammering. 

Five broke the silence as he let out a sigh, blinked and met her eyes. She stared into dull, green eyes, trying to read him, to see what he was feeling; desperately seeking that connection they used to share where she somehow just knew what he was feeling. But it was hard to find. After all these years, he’s become an expert in hiding his emotions. When he was a kid, she could read him like a book. She could barely read him now, but she did notice the pain in his eyes, not for what he did to Leonard, she doubted anything could make him feel sorry for that, but for the very act of killing. That made something inside her twist. 

She knew Five. He liked to act tough, not wanting to let others see how much things affected him because he was the same when they were kids. When their father would shut down any of his research or ideas, he would brush it away, but she knew it affected him. Just like he pretended killing didn’t bother him, but she knew otherwise. She knew his time in the commission affected him greatly, no matter how much he tried to hide it. 

As if he knew what she was thinking, he spoke, his voice empty. More than she’s heard it before. 

“In my time in the commission, they experimented and trained me for one sole purpose, to kill and do it with efficiency.” His bright green eyes went dull, losing their usual spark. “I’m a killer Vanya, that’s all I’ll ever be,” he breathed, his gaze set on his hands again, a faraway look in his eyes. It tore at her. 

“You’re not a murderer, Five,” she managed to say, her voice soft and barely audible, but he heard her. 

Five closed his eyes and gave her one of those cold, empty smirks.

“Vanya…” he opened his eyes, but his gaze remained on his hands. “I’m an assassin, it’s what I-“

“No, you’re not, you’re a physicist working in MIT,” she cut him off, unable to just sit quiet and let him keep doing this to himself. Getting drunk, beating himself over his past, thinking he’s nothing more than a murderer when she knows that’s not true. He’s her friend, the only person who saw her when she was invisible, not a killer. 

“You’re a hero, you save people in this reality. And you came back to save us from an apocalypse I caused in our reality,” she began, turning on the bed to face him fully, a sympathetic gaze in her eyes. “Maybe you were an assassin before, but you aren’t anymore.”

She breathed, settling herself. 

“You’re my best friend,” she said softly. 

He remained silent, his eyes fixed on his hands, almost as if he was afraid to meet her eyes and see what he’ll find there, but she noticed his shoulders drop ever so slightly. 

“I never enjoyed it, my work. It was just a means to an end, a ticket back to all of you,” he admitted, his voice soft and vulnerable now that he wasn’t hiding behind his intricate mask. “I was good at my work, the best in fact. And while I took pride in my skills, I never took pride in what I did. But killing him? I would turn back time and do it again.” 

She shook her head.

“Five…”

She watched as his shoulders regained their tension, his jaw clenching, nose flaring. 

“That asshole deserved it,” Five hissed. “He used you, just letting him breathe in the same world as you and the baby made my stomach churn.” 

“He hurt you!” He spat, a dangerous tone she’s never heard before in his voice. 

Once again, she just stared at him. Memories of what happened in the theatre came rushing back to her. 

“I know, but so did Luther, so did Allison, Diego, Klaus...” she gulped, feeling her throat constrict. “You,” she whispered.

If she had slapped him, she might have received a less shocked reaction.

Snapping his head towards her, his brows furrowed, hurt clear in his eyes. Before he could say anything, she continued, averting her eyes, finding it too painful to look at him. 

“But I would never hurt any of you, not intentionally.”

Five just sat there, stunned, mouth opening and closing, unsure as to what to say, until finally, he settled with something.

“I wouldn’t have hurt you back then,” Five admitted, faintly. “I admit I wanted to stop you from destroying everything including yourself, but I never would have hurt you, Vanya, never.” 

She met his eyes, a little taken aback by the sincerity in them, but a part of her, the part that didn’t want to get hurt, just couldn’t bring itself to believe him. Refusing in allowing itself to be exposed to the possibility of getting hurt again. 

“I know,” she lied, her voice a little hoarse as if there was something stuck in her throat. 

While she couldn’t easily look through him, it seemed that he could. 

Turning fully on the spot, his eyes landed on top of her head. When he placed his hand above hers, she didn’t jump like she’s done the last couple of times he so much as brushed up against her. 

It hurt, hurt that the people she trusted the most hurt her in such a way, especially him, but she couldn’t stop herself from relaxing at his very touch. 

“Don’t just say that without meaning it,” he told her as if he was talking to a wounded animal. “I would never hurt you, Vanya, not then, not ever.”

Vanya closed her eyes tightly, then opened them, feeling the moisture in her eyes but not allowing the tears to fall. Not this time. 

She couldn’t bring herself to lie with her own voice again, so she settled with raising her head and nodding. Of course, he saw right through her as he suddenly deflated and looked exhausted, almost defeated, the bright green eyes reflecting his true age. It felt like a knife was being twisted in her heart. 

Sighing, she shook her head, trying to think of something else, settling with him killing. 

She doesn’t hate or think less of him, of course not. But she also doesn’t want to see him doing this, killing people, chipping away at his soul every time he spills blood. But it also made her realize that she was being a complete hypocrite.

“Sorry,” she apologized, changing the topic. “I was being a hypocrite. Saying that to you when you only killed a few people, I killed an entire planet. I have more blood in my h-“

The look he shot her was so startled as if asking her if she was insane, that she stopped talking.

“How can you compare yourself to me, Vanya?” He asked in disbelief, the slight anger behind his voice shocked her. “What I did, I did it because I decided to do it. You had no idea what you were doing.”

She blinked, a little shocked but still not convinced.

“But I still did it, I killed a lot of people Five.”

He set his jaw, his lips forming into a tight line. For a second she thought he would argue but didn’t. He remained quiet. It just reaffirmed her guilt. 

“What does that make us?” She asked, her soft voice sounding louder in the quiet room, a little scared to hear the answer. 

She watched as the gears turned in his head, his eyes shifting from one side of her face to the other. 

“It makes us people that have made the wrong decisions,” he answered, not quite convinced, but she supposed that’s the best either of them was going to get. 

It didn’t take the guilt she felt for everything she’s done, but she could accept that. It’s human to make mistakes, but unfortunately for them, when they make mistakes, a lot of people get hurt.

She smiled weakly, a hint of shyness. 

“I guess we’re both idiots.” 

He gave her the tiniest hint of a smirk. 

“I suppose we are,” he agreed. 

They both stared at one another, his hand still on top of hers, and she would sooner leap out the window than lose the connection. It made her feel like she was back in her thirteen-year-old body, sitting on his bed as they talked, with him holding her hand because he liked the connection. It was also nice that they have finally come to an understanding about something, which is why it pained her to break the moment. But she had to, for him. 

She gave out a long sigh, breaking the pleasant silence.

“As for the alcohol problem.”

He froze like a statue, every muscle in his body coiling. 

“I don’t have an alcohol proble-“

She ignored him completely and continued to speak as if he hadn’t spoken. 

“You know I always hated seeing you hurt yourself,” she told him, a little chidingly. “When we were kids, and you were angry at something, you would train until you literally passed out, and now you drink until you can barely remember your own name. Nothing’s changed.”

She turned her hand in his hold and gripped his hand instead. 

“What would have happened if you had gotten alcohol poisoning?” She asked, concern clear in her voice.

Five blinked, a little taken aback.

“I would never let it go that far,” he mumbled.

Vanya huffed and rolled her eyes. Again, for someone so smart he could be so stupid at times.

“Now you sound just like Klaus, do I have to set up an intervention?” 

The vulnerability he had shown but a few seconds ago disappeared behind the firm mask as anger overtook his features, giving him a more familiar appearance. She was surprised he didn’t slip his hand from hers, trying to put a little distance between them, but he didn’t; he gripped her hand even tighter. 

“Please,” he spat. “I’m not an addict like him, I’m not an alcoholic,” he hissed, turning his attention away from her. 

“Then prove it, stop drinking, stop doing this to yourself... please.” 

As soon as the _please_ slipped from her lips, she watched as he deflated and he sighed. 

“You always had to get your way when we were kids,” he grumbled, downcasting his gaze, looking at his hands. He said nothing further on the matter, but she knew he wasn’t going to be getting drunk any time soon. 

He never liked to admit it, but when they were kids, she knew he hated worrying her, hated hurting her in any way like the rest of her siblings didn’t seem to mind doing. If he overtrained himself after one of his famous fits of anger, he would always make it up to her somehow. 

clearing his throat, he spoke again, hesitance returning to his voice at full force.

“How’s the baby?”

Although she didn’t react as intensely as she usually did whenever the baby was brought up, now accepting the fact that she is pregnant and committing to it, she still tensed up a little. 

“The doctor said the baby should be healthy, but that I should do all the exams when I have the chance, and book the ultrasound appointment,” she responded quietly. 

Five’s face softened, losing its usual arrogance and cockiness as a tender smile made its way to his lips. 

“I’m glad to hear.” 

She nodded in agreement, she’s only known about her pregnancy for three days now, but she would do anything for the baby growing inside her. After all, it’s just innocent in all this, it’s not it’s fault all of this is happening. And she couldn’t bring herself to take something like that from Five. He may not show it, but she knows that to him, family is everything. 

Fidgeting with the sheets, she hesitated at what she was going to ask next. 

“Wi-will you be there? For the ultrasound?” 

She knew things were difficult between them, and that was an understatement, but she wanted him by her side. He is the father and the closest person to her. Even if this reality’s Vanya hadn’t ended up with him, and the child wasn’t his, she would still want him by her side. With Five around, everything somehow just seemed less scary. 

He blinked, something flashing behind his eyes, something she’s only seen in this reality’s Vanya’s memories but as soon as it came it left. He gave her a reassuring smile. 

“Of course…” he trailed off, a little hesitant himself, the way his body stiffened, betraying that. “I’ll be there for every exam if you want.” 

A warm feeling spread inside her. 

For some reason, she didn’t quite understand she suddenly became very self-conscious as her cheeks reddened and she tried to hide her face behind her hair, once again cursing herself for having cut her bangs, her only escape. She was overjoyed that he wanted to be there, but it was also a bit much... she was just as confused about that. She blamed it on her pregnancy hormones. 

Five‘s brows only softened more at her reaction, as he didn’t ask or half-heartedly tease her as he often used to do, which she was thankful for. In fact, he seemed entranced by her reaction, and she by his as they leaned forward a bit, but then a voice below them boomed. 

“Where is he?!” Diego’s voice thundered throughout the academy, making her stiffen on the spot and wince a little at the loudness. “FIVE!” 

She quickly leaned away from Five, refusing to think of what it was she had nearly done as she listened to the other members of the academy exit their rooms or stopped what they were doing as they went to see what all the commotion was about. 

Beside her, the culprit to Diego’s sudden anger huffed but didn’t make a move to stand up or answer as he remained seated, not at all fazed by their brother’s anger.

As Diego’s footsteps thundered up the stairs, as if trying to make as much noise on purpose to stress how pissed off he was, he finally reached the attic and practically threw the door from its hinges with how hard he banged it open. 

It wasn’t rare for either of their siblings to fight, especially when it came to Five, but as she looked at Diego’s red and angry face, as well as the pain shining through his red rim eyes, she knew this was no usual misunderstanding. Something had happened. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so Diego's mad, wonder what he's mad about hmmmmmmm. Also, nice guess to those of you that said Five went to kill Leonard!
> 
> So anyway, at least these two sort of figured a few things out but are still hopeless!!! 
> 
> Thank you again to everyone for their continued support, it really does mean a lot!!


	16. Stand off

As a child, she never really got along with any of her siblings other than Five. Seeing as she wasn’t a member of the Umbrella team, her siblings just didn’t make the effort of getting to know her or even talk to her. To them, she was invisible, something that always hurt her. 

Any child, or anyone really, no matter how shy and introverted, has the desire to fit in, to belong. She tried to do just that, to fit in, but no matter how much she tried, her family didn’t seem to want anything to do with her, with the ordinary one of the bunch.

While Diego wasn’t the meanest out of all of them, Allison often took that role when they were young, Diego had the unique ability to ignore her to the extent that she genuinely thought he couldn’t see her. Whenever she spoke, or they happened to be the only ones in a room, he would effectively ignore her. In fact, the most they interacted was when their father died in her reality, and that was because he was furious at her for writing her autobiography. 

Yes, they were never close, but despite that, she, the most observant out of all of them due to her quiet disposition, could always read her siblings. Something she seemed to carry onto this reality. 

Much like Five, Diego liked to talk big while behind a mask. However, his was more brittle, much easier to see through. The fact that his mask was entirely removed, leaving his expression bare, she could tell something had happened that affected him deeply. 

Staring at him now, she could see the clear anger that flared in his eyes, turned at Five but something told her it wasn’t entirely directed at him, not with the way his jaw clenched and unclenched, and the muscles in his neck popped out as if holding something back. 

As Diego stepped inside the room, he didn’t stop, didn’t even acknowledge her, far too furious, eyes zeroed in on Five. He was like a bull, with all his attention on a target.

Seeing him so furious, and with no intention of stopping, no doubt wanting to punch Five. She did something she had never done before. She placed herself in front of Five, hoping that Diego would stop his advance. However, almost as soon as she raised herself to her feet, Diego placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back on the bed. 

There wasn’t any force behind his push, as she plopped back to the same spot, but the speed in which Five sprang to his feet and squared up to Diego, matching the anger he was showing, was as if Diego had pushed her down a set of stairs. 

Anger oozing out of him, Five stared intensely at Diego, his jaw clenched, lip formed into a tight line, brows knit together. On the other side, Diego matched his anger, if not more, eyes brimming with barely restrained anger. 

Vanya’s eyes widened, her heart sped up. It was like watching two predators circling each other. 

Five curled his lip as he opened his mouth. 

“What ar-“

Before he could finish, and faster than she could follow Diego shot his hands up and grabbed Five by the collar of his shirt and pulled him to him, shaking him on the spot, his teeth bare. 

When she caught up with the sudden action, Vanya took in a sharp, surprised breath, ready to use her powers, to do what? She wasn’t sure, but she would stop either of them if they threw a punch. However, as soon as that thought came, Five spatial jumped behind their brother and effortlessly took him into a chokehold. 

Giving out a half startled, half angry sound Diego bent his body and tried to elbow, or back kick him, but Five was ready for that and positioned himself in a way that he couldn’t land any blows. 

“Let go of me!” Diego growled, struggling to get out of his hold. 

Five only tightened his grip, forcing Diego’s head back.

“Not a chance!” Five growled back. 

Diego roared in frustration, his face turning red, eyes wide and blazing. 

Vanya braced herself, ready to jump into action, knowing that Diego had lost every bit of patience. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.

“What’s going on here?” Luther’s I-am-number-One voice boomed from outside the room, causing them all freeze on the spot, even Five’s shoulder’s stiffened ever so slightly. 

Vanya’s eyes grew, peering past Five and Diego and towards Luther who stood by the doorway, his stance wide, chest raised. Behind him were the rest of their siblings, looking over his broad shoulders, they didn’t seem as surprised by Luther’s sudden confidence as she was. 

Ever since they could remember, Luther was always their leader, whether or not they agreed with that was another thing. Due to his role, Luther had grown up possessing a bit more confidence than the rest. It had been so long since she heard that tone in Luther, the one that told them all that he was their leader, Number One. It’s a tone of voice she’d often heard him use during training scenarios to instruct everyone on what to do when they were kids. However, as an adult, in their reality, he seemed to have lost much of that confidence he used to possess, no doubt because of his accident. 

Luther’s gaze fell on Five, his brows furrowed.

“Let go of him, Five,” he ordered.

For a few seconds Five didn’t seem to have heard him, but then he tightened his hold on Diego for a brief second before he drew his arms back and let him go. 

Stumbling a little, Diego coughed a few times, face red. Soon after he regained his breath, he straightened his back and turned to face Five, glowering at him, but he thankfully stayed his ground. 

“Now,” Luther began, those that were behind him stepped around him to enter the room now that the fight was averted. “Can anyone tell me what’s going on?” 

Five grabbed the hem of his shirt and adjusted it, getting rid of the creases, attention still on Diego.

“I don’t know, ask him,” growled Five and gestured at Diego, sounding a lot like he was six years old that had just been caught fighting with one of their siblings. 

Diego flared his nose, his eyes narrowed. 

“Like you don’t know!”

Five turned to Diego and gave him one of his disturbing wide sneers.

“You seem to be under the impression that my powers involve telepathy, but I’ll have you know I don’t have the faintest idea as to what goes on in that empty head of yours,” he hissed, not even trying to hide his anger now.

Behind them, Luther sighed. Five really wasn’t helping matters. 

Although Diego’s brows twitched and his hands balled up into fists beside him, he nevertheless stayed his ground, his red-rim eyes fixed on Five, not once looking away. 

“Those freaks you told us about when dad died, have been hunting me for the last two days!” he hissed, his voice dropping into a dangerous tone. “Last night they followed me to my home, and shot my friend dead, looking for you!”

Everyone except Luther and Diego suddenly froze in the spot, their gaze snapping to Five who seemed just as taken aback, his brows raised, eyes large. Out of all the things Diego could have said, that clearly hadn’t been one of those things. 

Still sitting on the bed, Vanya curled her fingers on the sheet under her, breathing quickening ever so slightly. She didn’t need to be a genius to know who the  _ freaks  _ Diego was referring to were. 

The commission, while she knew little about them, only that they were Five’s previous employers that sought to end the world, she knew who they were. At first, she hadn’t believed Five when he told her about them in their reality, thinking that he had gone insane, and how could she not? A time-travelling organization that caused all major historical events through assassinations? She just couldn’t wrap her head around it. Thinking that Five was insane was much easier. But after they had broken into their home wearing masks and dropping a chandelier on Luther, it was hard not to believe. And although her memories of what happened in the theatre were still fuzzy, she also recalled catching a glance at the group of men wearing masks, shooting at her family. 

Letting out an unsteady breath, the inner edges of her brows draw up. 

If they’re back, did that mean they wanted to end the world here too? Did that mean that they would come after her? Did that mean she was going to end the world? Was that just inevitable? Was she just fated to destroy everything? 

Inhaling, Five seemed to re-gather himself as his eyes landed on the floor, a distant look in them.

“So they’re finally here,” Five mumbled to himself, barely audible. Shaking his head, he set his gaze on Diego once more, expression schooled into a controlled one, devoid of any shock. The one he showed whenever he focused intently on something. “What did they look like?” 

Diego blinked, as if unsure as to what Five had asked, but then he frowned and waved his hand dismissively 

“Who the fuck cares what they-“

Five took a step forward, pose straightening, angling his body towards Diego. 

“It matters a lot, you idiot,” he growled, exasperation audible in his voice. 

Instantly, every set of eyes went from Diego to Five, all of them thinking that Diego might refuse to answer, or decide to throttle Five once and for all with the way he shook from barely suppressed anger.

“They had white-blond hair, siblings by the look of them,” he spat, still not understanding why it was so important. She didn’t blame him, she was just as confused. 

Five nodded, but he didn’t seem at all relieved by the answer. Quite the contrary. With a grim expression, he set his jaw. 

“So it wasn’t Hazel and ChaCha,” he said, more to himself than to Diego, eyes regaining that far away look once more. 

Vanya shifted on the spot, a forewarning knot settling in her gut.

“Is that bad?” She asked softly.

Eyes lowering to her, he gazed at her, green eyes losing their lustre. The knot in her gut only tangled itself more and more. 

Gaze going back and forth between her and Five, Diego seemed even more confused. 

“Who the fuck is Hazel and Ch-“

It was like Five hadn’t even heard him as he cut him off, his eyes rising from her to the window behind her, as if deep in thought. 

“They’re called time agents, they work for the commission. In our reality, they also sent agents after me. Hazel and ChaCha were their names,” he told Diego, shifting his attention back to him. “If the commission from this reality were after us, then they’d send them again. The fact that they didn’t, means that the commission from our reality followed us here.”

The room went very quiet, but to Vanya, it only seemed to get louder as everyone’s hearts started to beat faster, harder. They all now understood why Five seemed so concerned. 

“What does that mean?” Ben asked, voice soft but coming out louder in the quiet room. 

Five looked at Ben over his shoulder.

“Apart from the fact that they’ve faced us before and know what to expect this time around, it also means that they have control over multiple realities. That’s if this is a different reality,” Five responded as if the answer wasn’t obvious. 

“Wait, hold on,” Allison waved her hands, gesturing at him to slow down. “What do you mean, if this is a different reality? You’re not saying this could be our original reality?” 

Vanya nodded, wondering the same thing. As far as she understood it, and she knew very little about physics and time travel, they are clearly in a different reality. How could they not be? Just the fact that she’s a member of the academy and knows how to control her powers told her all she needed to know. 

Five placed his hands inside his pockets, and leaned on one leg, adopting the posture he usually took whenever he was about to give a long explanation, at ease with being the focus of attention. 

“Yes and no,” he answered, turning his back on Diego to face Allison, Ben and Klaus. “This could still be our reality, just altered by something or someone.” He raised his index finger, appearing a lot like a professor giving out a lecture. “Or it could be a completely different one.”

None of them seemed to understand and she was glad she wasn’t the only one. She understood the gist of what he was saying, about this being the same reality but altered, or an entirely different one. But how could that be? How could that be possible? As far as they knew, this reality was an entirely different one, and if not then who changed it? Neither of them seemed to have changed it. When she saw Five at Griddy’s she thought it had been him, but she was wrong. So who did it? 

Diego shook his head, exasperation clear in his eyes, patience running low. 

“You better start making sense before I punch you in the face,” he threatened. 

Rising to her feet, she watched as Five rolled his eyes, not at all threatened by Diego, shooting him an equally exasperated glare back at him. 

“I already told you,  _ Diego _ ,” he jeered. “But your pea-brain couldn’t comprehend and look at what that got you.” 

Everyone but Five and Diego stiffened. 

Closing her eyes, Vanya sighed and shook her head. Sometimes Five could be a handful, throwing more fuel into the fire. Thankfully Diego didn’t make a move to throttle him as he clenched and unclenched his jaw, appearing like anything could set him off. 

“You’re telling me this is all thanks to the end of the world and parallel dimension bullshit?”

Five’s brow twitched. 

“Yes, that _ bullshit _ as you so adequately put it.”

Everyone in the room turned their attention from Five to Diego, watching him almost expectantly. 

After they told him and Luther that they’re from a different reality, Diego had been the only one who didn’t believe them. She didn’t blame him. Time travel was a tough concept for her to accept when Five came back. Reality jumping was even more unbelievable. The only reason she believed it was because she was experiencing it with her own eyes, otherwise she’d be just as skeptical as Diego. 

Crossing his arms, Diego gestured at Five with his chin. 

“Then why the fuck don’t you just leave? Take all your bullshit with you.”

Having not expected that, everyone in the room looked on at Diego with equal shock. 

Taking a deep breath, Luther nodded, his gaze hard. 

“For once, I agree with Diego,” Luther grumbled.

Upon hearing his words, Allison snapped her head to him, eyes wide, burning with shock and hurt, forehead creased. 

“Excuse me?”

Avoiding her gaze, he shrugged, but with the way the corners of his eyes crinkled, and his lips formed into a sharp line, she knew he was guilty of what he just said. It made her wonder, yet again, the kind of relationship they both had in this reality? She guessed she’ll have to ask Allison when things settle. 

Shifting her gaze to her feet, Vanya thought about what Diego said. 

She was a little shocked that he wanted them gone, but she also found herself agreeing with him. Maybe the others didn’t care but she would like to return to her reality. It may not be best, but at least there she had her own life, where she knew everything about it. Where she’s not entirely confused, unsure of who she is, what to do. But there was also the guilt of returning to a world she destroyed if there was even a world to return to. 

“Have any of you been listening to a word I’ve been saying?” Five growled, patience completely draining out of him. 

None of them answered, downcasting their gaze, except for Klaus who raised his finger as if to say that he was, but Five shot him a glare and he lowered it. 

“Serially, how do you even survive a day without using your brains?” Five asked, turning to face them all while making a point of keeping her out of it. 

She watched as her siblings uncomfortably shifted on the spot and shot Five an exasperated look, the one they usually gave him when he was being particularly difficult or just showing off. A look they gave him throughout their childhood. She wasn’t biased; she knew how annoying Five could be at times, and she wasn’t always spared from his arrogance. To that, he would often scoff and tell them that it wasn’t arrogance if he was correct. And she supposed his genius gave him so leeway to show off. 

Of course, to Five everything made sense, at least anything to do with math and science and just overall logic, but even she was at a loss as to what he was trying to say. 

Giving out a sigh, Five closed his eyes, no doubt counting to ten before opening them again. 

“I’m not going to explain myself again, so listen up,” he scowled. “If this is indeed our altered reality, then we can’t leave. Simple, right?” He asked, with a tone of voice one might use on children. 

Everyone nodded in agreement. Following him so far.

Five continued.

“And even if it isn’t, leaving is not possible either.” At that, they all frowned, losing him again. Thankfully, Five continued to explain. “Like it or not, we’re all assimilated to this reality. To send our conscience to our own reality would do more damage to this reality than good.”

Now understanding, sort of, their frowns softened, except for Diego’s who only depended. 

“And why’s that?” He asked. 

If Five wasn’t done with Diego before, he was now. 

Bending at the waist, he glared at Diego. 

“Think for a second, you dimwit,” he jeered and pointed at Ben and Klaus.

“Those two have been in this reality for seventeen years.” He paused and pointed at himself. “I’ve been here for nine.” He pointed at Allison. “And she’s been here for seven.” Five spread his arms. “Our consciences have long merged with the ones of this reality.”

They all formed their lips into an O, finally understanding, even Diego, but that didn’t make it any better. 

Now that she understood what he was trying to say. She felt a pang of regret and loss when just a minute ago she felt some glimmer of hope. She thought that maybe they could go back, that if they did, it’ll somehow make things better. But now that hope has been shot down. 

Five paced back and forth, his expression thoughtful. 

“The human brain is a delicate thing, it’s easy to add things but dangerous to take away. If we send our conscience to our reality, even if we could, I can guarantee the consciousness of every one of us will most likely be damaged beyond compare.”

After he said that, they all stiffened at the thought. Even Luther looked at Five with a hard gaze. He, like Diego, no doubt wanted them to leave, they did after all bring all these dangers from their own reality, but he didn’t want any of them to get hurt. Luther is many things, and she may still have conflicted thoughts about him. But she knew he wouldn’t hurt any of them, at least not on purpose and with no real reason. Diego on the other hand, while she didn’t doubt he cared for them, he could hold a grudge.

Diego shook his head, not at all convinced by what five said. 

“It doesn’t matter, this isn’t your reality, you don’t belong here.”

When Five sneered, his expression turning dangerous, she just knew this was going to turn into one of their usual brawls that ended up destroying everything around them. Her body stiffened, preparing for the worse, as did everyone else. 

“Oh, really-“

Thankfully, before Five could continue and make things worse, Ben stepped in, cutting him off. 

“When you were fifteen, you had a girlfriend outside the academy, you didn’t want anyone to know so you would sneak out in the middle of the night,” he revealed, expression soft. 

Snapping his head from Five to Ben, the frown he had ever since he walked inside the room softened a bit, eyes searching Ben’s. 

“How-“

Ben shrugged, a tight smile formed on his lips. 

“Simple, because I’m your brother.” 

Diego opened his mouth, but seeing where Ben was going with this, Allison jumped in next. 

“And I was there to clean your wound after you cut yourself playing with your knife and got distracted, but didn’t want anyone to know,” Allison added with a fond smile. 

Vanya cocked her head a bit, brows lowered, a little confused by that re-telling of that memory. She doubted that memory was actually her’s, seeing as she arrived at this reality as an adult. The memory sounded like one from this reality’s Allison, and yet she considered it to be her own. It made her wonder if the connection they had with this reality self goes further than just memories. Five did say their conscience merged with the ones of this reality, but what did that mean?

“Oh, and I was the first one to give you your first PlayBoy magazine!” Klaus added with a grin, making them all groan and shake their heads, while Diego blushed. 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Five took a deep breath. 

“Yes, yes, very cute, we’re all family,” he huffed, almost disgusted by the display of affection. Lowering his hand, he met Diego’s gaze. “The point is, we have all faced the commission before, so we’re the best choice you got, like it or not.”

They all nodded in agreement. 

For a few seconds Diego just starred a Five, lips formed into a tight line, expression devoid of hostility for once, as if considering what Five had said.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” he finally yielded, and they all exhaled. “But I’m not staying here.” 

They all nearly groaned. Why did Diego have to be difficult? 

Appearing like he wasn’t at all surprised by Diego’s answer, Five cocked a brow, arrogance glinting in his eyes. 

“Suit yourself, but I wonder…” he trailed off and crossed his arms. “How long do you expect to last alone out there? Especially since it’s not just yourself you have to worry about.” 

Vanya blinked and glanced around the room, not following Five, again. Was there something she missed? She wasn’t the only one. Her other siblings also searched the room, as if looking for answers, but when they found none, Luther frowned. 

“What-“ before Luther could finish, Five continued. 

“Diego brought home a stray.” Five answered and turned to face the opened door. Everyone followed his gaze but frowned when they saw nothing there. For a few seconds, they just stared at the empty wall, wondering if Five had gone mad until a feminine voice, with a British accent, spoke.

“You’re good,” the woman said, stepping into the doorframe, revealing herself as they all stared at her in shock, except for Five and Diego. 

The woman wasn’t overly tall or overly short, fitting somewhere in the middle. By her complexion and facial structure, she appeared to be of Indian descent, with shoulder-length raven hair, and bangs covering her forehead. She was quite pretty. 

With a smirk, she looked on to Five. He, however, looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze, a mistrustful slant to his brows. It was a gaze that would have anyone squirming on the spot, but she didn’t seem at all fazed.

“And you’re not,” Five said derisively, a dangerous, hostile, smile appearing on his lips. “Mind telling us why you’ve been eavesdropping?” 

The woman snorted, amusement dancing in her eyes. Who was this woman? 

“Are you kidding me? You were all talking about alternate realities like this is some fancy, sci-fi show. How could a girl resist?” She asked, leaning on the doorway, crossing her arms. 

Behind them, Diego sighed and gestured at her.

“This is Lila,” he announced, sounding tired. “Lila, this is-“

“Your emotionally stunted family,” she finished for him, doing a slight head tilt and shooting them an innocent grin. 

On cue, everyone turned their heads to scowl at Diego, who’s gaze was fixed on the woman, Lila

“Yea,” he affirmed and sidestepped Five as he made his way to her. Once he reached the doorway, he took Lila’s hand, standing a little too close to her for someone that was just a friend. “And we were just leaving.”

Vanya heard Ben sigh, not at all surprised by Diego’s response, but not happy at the same time. She wasn’t either. Diego was, after all, the first to leave when they turned seventeen. He was in such a hurry in leaving the academy; she doubted anything could force him to stay, even something like the apocalypse. 

Luther shifted in his spot and raised his chin, staring down his nose at Diego. 

“What about what Five said?” He asked.

Diego shrugged. 

“Well, from what I understand, I think we’ll both be safer away from all of you.” 

Five shook his head. However, instead of arguing with him, as she thought he would, he raised his hands, signalling that he was giving up. 

“I don’t have time for this,” he hissed, eyes settling on Diego. “Stay or leave, I don’t give a damn. You can do whatever the hell you want.” 

Before anyone could say a word, Five suddenly grabbed her hand, making her tense up as he pulled her gently out of the room, no doubt needing to get away from everyone, even though they were all in his room. Deciding not to argue with him, looking at the hard lines of his face, and neither did the others as they let him through, she let him lead her. 

When they went through the doorway, she bumped against Diego’s friend and apologized under her breath. Lila said nothing, perking up a brow as Five led them down the corridor. 

Keeping her attention on him, hand loose in his tight grip, she fixed her eyes on his side profile, looking at the way his jaw clenched and unclenched, his fiery green eyes fixed ahead. A disquieting feeling churned inside her. 

From the moment Diego told them someone was after him, the loose posture and gentle expression he had given her before Diego barged inside the room had been completely taken over by a tense, fiery expression that hid a lot behind a firmly placed wall. 

Vanya furrowed her brows. 

She knew Five, she knew there was more he wasn’t telling them.

Once they made it to her room did he finally let go of her, leaving her standing in the centre of the room. Her eyes followed him as he took her duffle bag from under the bed, a frown deepening. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

As expected, Five didn’t answer as he grabbed the clothes she had left folded on her bed and laid them inside the bag. Having an inkling of why he was gathering her stuff, she opened her mouth, but before she could ask anything someone beat her to it. 

“Going somewhere?” asked Allison.

Vanya twisted on the spot to face her. 

Allison was standing by the doorway, a brow raised, gaze on the back of Five’s head who didn’t so much as turn or stopped gathering things into the duffle bag.

“None of your concern,” he replied with his usual icy tone. Nothing like the soft way he told her he was going to be there for her and the baby, sounding almost like a different person.

Allison didn’t seem angry or annoyed as she usually was whenever Five was being difficult, she just crossed her arms. 

“Really? Because I heard a rumour that you told me where you were going.” 

Vanya snapped her head towards Five, surprised that Allison had used her powers on him. He never did make life easy for her when she did. 

Body freezing from head to toe, halfway between placing the vitamin bottle inside the bag. She watched as his hand shook, seeming to fight the rumour. But no matter how stubborn, or strong-willed he may be, he couldn’t break out of Allison’s powers, no one could.

Through gritted teeth, as if it pained him, he answered. 

“We’re going somewhere secret, where the commission can’t find us,” 

“What?” Vanya exclaimed as soon as those words left his lips. 

Five didn’t look at her. Instead, he exhaled and spun to face the door.

“Damn it, Allison!” he glowered at her. “You can’t just keep your nose out of your damn business, can you?!” 

Allison didn’t so much as blink, her expression passive.

They were leaving? Why? Where? Five hadn’t said anything about leaving. Didn’t he say they had to stick together? Why try to make Diego stay if he was planning to leave himself? It made no sense!

When she saw him gather her things, she thought he was doing it to move her to his room. It was the kind of thing he would do, and not for the first time. When some ambitious journalist broke into the academy when they were kids, coming in through her opened window, he had made her sleep in his room every night for almost an entire year. From experience, she thought he would do something along those lines. Five has always been an over-protective individual, but apparently, he had much more drastic measures in mind. 

“So, you’re taking Vanya somewhere remote?” Allison asked, brushing away his insult. 

Refusing to be ignored, Vanya took a step towards him, a scowl directed at him. 

“Why didn’t you say anything when we were in your room?” She demanded, sharply. 

While she cared about him deeply, he’s the closest thing she’ll ever have. There are still some qualities she disliked about him. The main one being his inability to work with others, always keeping secrets to himself because he thinks he’s the only capable one. Arrogantly believing that the entire world rests on his shoulders. It was a weakness then, and it seems to be a weakness now. 

Five huffed, not meeting her eyes. 

“I was going to tell y-”

“When you had already taken me there,” she finished for him, disbelief dripping down her voice. 

Finally, changing his attention to her, the prominent lines on his forehead softened. 

“Vanya-”

“I thought you said that we had to stick together,” she cut him off again, gesturing around her. “All of us.”

Chest rising and falling, eyes narrowing, she glared at him. 

“She has a point,” Allison crossed her arms, but she seemed less shocked than her. “Why are you changing your mind now?”

Five tore his gaze from her, eyes hardening once more as he looked at Allison. 

“Why?” He asked as if the answer wasn’t obvious enough. “Are you really asking that?”

Allison narrowed her eyes.

Before he exploded into one of his famous fits of anger, Five took a deep breath to settle himself, and haphazardly pushed his hair back, as some stress and anxiety slipped through his firm mask. It made the anger inside her receded a little.

“When I arrived here I kept a lookout for them. But after years of getting no sign of them, not so much as a whisper, or residual time-travelling energy, I thought they wouldn’t exist in this reality. I thought they wouldn’t be a threat to us, that maybe the apocalypse wouldn’t happen, and if it did, it wouldn’t be orchestrated by them,” he explained, sounding almost guilty as if beating himself over the fact that he hadn’t seen their arrival coming. 

Turning on the spot, he faced Vanya, the space between his brows puckered, a soft, worried gleam to his eyes. 

“All they want is you, Vanya,” he declared, voice low, dropping all the anger and iciness to it. The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I won’t let that happen, not again. Especially when it’s not just you that’s on the line.” 

The gentle, worried look in his eyes almost disarmed her there and then. And if she had been the Vanya from the past, it would have. She would have said it’s fine and gone along with anything he said, the urge to please and fit in driving her to it. But she wasn’t that Vanya any more, that Vanya died when she killed Leonard. She couldn’t agree with him, not when anger spread inside her, tainting her thoughts. 

Vanya returned his gaze, refusing to back down. He seemed a little surprised by that.

She knew she wasn’t angry at him, not entirely, but anger was an all-consuming thing. 

Her anger was directed at everything that had happened the last week, everything with Leonard, the apocalypse, her role in it, the lies. Before she learned that she had been lied to her entire life, that she wasn’t ordinary, she still disliked being lied to. But now, it felt like a betrayal, especially when it came from Five. 

When she arrived, he told her that the apocalypse wouldn’t happen, and now they learn the commission is after them again, and she just knew he was lying about not knowing of their presence. How could he not? He knew everything! There was also the fact that he told her the apocalypse wasn’t her fault, that he doubted she would cause it this time around. So much for that. 

As her anger swelled, a small part of her was telling her she was overreacting, the bitter, mistrustful, part of her that was long overdue to explode, burned inside her. Telling her that the only reason he was taking her as far away from the commission had nothing to do with her protection and everything to do with keeping the bomb out of their grasp. 

She bit the inside of her cheek. The fact that she could control her powers here meant nothing to them, and that made anger flare up inside her. 

There was a moment of silence as they both stared at the other, until Allison gave out a long sigh, breaking the silence.

“I’m sorry, Vanya, but he’s right,” she said gently, sounding a little in disbelief that she was agreeing with Five. 

Vanya snapped her head towards her, brows shot up, her sister’s guilty expression only deepened, but she didn’t back down. 

Allison gave her a small, gentle smile as if it would make it all better. It didn’t. 

“Let’s face it, they don’t want us, they want y-“

“Because I’m the only one that can end the world, the only one that’s a threat,” Vanya finished for her, saying what everyone in this house was probably thinking, brows knit together, anger slipping through her voice.

Allison's eyes widened for a brief second, but then she re-gathered herself, and sighed once more, the edges of her eyes crinkled. 

“You’ll both be safer there, Vanya,” she said, almost pleadingly, not once disagreeing with what she just said. That only made something twist inside her. 

Is this what she’ll always be? What they’ll always think of her? A bomb? No matter how well she can control her powers, they’ll always be afraid of her, she’ll always be an outsider. If she learned to control her powers, like this reality’s Vanya did, they would fear her and ostracize her because of fear. And if she didn’t have her powers, as she did in her reality, they shun her because she was ordinary. It was like this was meant to happen, what always had to happen. 

But despite her anger and resentment, she always had a bit of a weakness for her family. 

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, the edges of her eyes losing some hardness. 

“I’ll be safe, but you won’t be. You’ll all stay here and it’ll be my fault if something happens to you,” she argued. 

Allison closed her eyes and shook her head. 

“Vanya-“

“No Allison,” she cut her off, something she had never done in her childhood. “I’ve spent my  _ entire _ life sitting back while you all went out there and risked your lives, and now that I have the power to do something, you’re sending me away?”

Vanya shook her head, posture straightening. She had never put her foot down with anything in her life, and it was about time she had. She didn’t want to leave her family here, to deal with psycho assassins that are after her and not them, and no one was going to force her otherwise. 

“I won’t le-“

Before she could finish, as quick as a bullet, Five shot his hand out and seized her by her arm. Before she realized what was going on, a familiar, electric current crackled in the air as Five spatial jumped them out of the room, and the academy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well….it’s safe to say Vanya won’t be happy about that, not one bit. Finally, the cat is out of the bag with the commission!!! and I get to add Lila and the Swedes into the tags! YES! And no one saw it coming! Also, didn't I say Five and Vanya's little understanding wouldn't last long?! And Vanya finally putting her foot down, but at the same time, not exactly choosing the best of times to do so! What do you guys think? Who is in the right here? Five or Vanya?
> 
> Anyways, thank you guys for all your support! I always really appreciate it! Christmas is always a bit of a busy month, but I'll always try to stay on top of this fic!!
> 
> Ps. Sorry that Eudora is dead, don't hate me! :'(


	17. What I do, I do it because I care bout you

_ August 1st, 2002 _

**Reality A**

* * *

He was covered in sweat, his clothes clinging to him. Five frowned, disgust clear on his face.

That mission had been a lot tougher than expected, but he wasn’t surprised. Taking down a gang wasn’t going to be easy, he knew from the start. Still, he didn’t expect this amount of carnage. They tried to be covert as they sneaked into the gang’s headquarters, but they were quickly discovered and they opened fire upon them without a second thought. 

Five cringed, his head pounding at the memory of the sound of countless bullets cutting through the air, and the bangs the guns created. He wasn’t unfamiliar with gunshots, but he had never heard so many at once. 

Quickly dispersing, they all followed Luther’s plan, which essentially involved taking down all the gang members. Five had gone about his task per usual, knocking down targets with spatial jumps before they even realized what was happening. But unlike some of his siblings, like Diego, he didn’t kill his targets.

So far they’ve gone on three missions since their debut, and most of his siblings already had a bit of a kill streak, something that was always kept out of the papers. The public didn’t need to know that the six superhero teenagers in the Umbrella Academy were all killers. Of course, it wasn’t something they were proud of, but also wasn’t something they dwelled on either. They were taught from a young age to show no mercy to their enemies. To kill and do it with efficiency. But despite that, he still chose not to kill, even though it was easier. He didn’t exactly know why he was so averse to it. He just knew something would be lost if he did. 

Unfortunately, he knew he couldn’t keep his hands clean for too long. One way or another, he would have to do it, that he would be forced to kill at one point. He just didn’t think that moment would come so soon. 

Five took a deep breath, his eyes closing briefly as the memory flashed behind his eyes.

During the mission, after knocking down yet another target, he noticed one man leaning from a platform aiming at Klaus, who was blissfully unaware of the danger he was in. Klaus wasn’t his favourite sibling, but panic still gripped his throat as he flashed into action without a second thought. Everything that happened after that was so fast, even he struggled to fully remember what had happened. But what he did know was that he spatial jumped to where the man was standing, and before he could pull the trigger and end the life of a member of his family, he snapped his neck. 

Five grit his teeth upon remembering the sound of bones snapping under his hands. The kill itself was so quick and efficient, he was sure even his Father would have been proud (if he was capable of showing pride for anything other than himself, that is). As the man’s body dropped like a puppet that just got its string cut, he watched, his head buzzing, his emotions numb. With the death of the unknown man, it felt like something had died in him too. 

After the mission was over, the Major invited them to city hall to receive an award or something, Five didn’t care. As soon as they exited the warehouse, he spatial jumped to the academy. Of course, he knew their Father would be beyond furious, but that was inconsequential to him at the moment. He didn’t care about the damn academy, not when one person was on his mind.

Shuffling down the hallway to Vanya’s room, head bowed, he now understood what had kept him from killing. 

Vanya, his best friend, the person closest to him. The fear of what Vanya would think of him being a killer had kept him from bloodying his hands like the rest of his siblings did with ease. And now that they were, he felt a twisting feeling in his stomach. Would she think less of him? Would she notice a difference in him? Would she be horrified?

Once he arrived at her door, he stood in front of it for a long while, eyes fixed on it, nervousness thrumming through his body. A part of him kept saying that Vanya was aware of what their job entailed, but another part kept telling him she would hate him, and for once he was scared.

Gathering his nerves, he took a deep breath and opened the door without knocking. His eyes instantly landed on her. 

Sitting by her desk was Vanya, dutifully doing her homework. When she heard the sound of the door click and swing open, her pencil froze and she turned to look at the door. Her eyes instantly brightened when they landed on him.

“Hi, Five,” she greeted, a soft smile on her lips. “How was the mission?” 

Five didn’t answer her as he closed the door and gave her a tired look as he made his way to the bed and sat on it. Vanya’s eyes followed him, a frown slipping onto her face, no doubt realizing something was off. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, getting up from her seat and settling beside him. Her proximity made him both relax a bit and tense up at the same time.

He inhaled deeply, uncertainty dominating him. He was an expert liar, always was, but his skills in that area wouldn’t be needed this time. He wasn’t going to beat around the bush, or keep it from her, not when she was probably going to find out from one of their siblings and make things worse, so he came out and said it himself. 

“I killed someone,” he told her softly.

Seeing as his eyes were fixed ahead of him, too scared to look at her, he didn’t see her reaction but he could feel her tense up beside him. It made his heart beat faster. 

When she said nothing, and the silence started to grate on him, he continued, an edge of nervousness coming through his voice. 

“I’ve always tried to try to prevent it, but this time I couldn’t. They were going to kill Klaus, I had to act fast so-“ he cut himself short, his lips forming into a tight line, his gaze landing on his clenched hands. 

He knew any normal person would be horrified and broken by the knowledge that they just took a life, but he didn’t feel that. Despite everything, he wasn’t torn up about it; he had to do what he needed to do in that situation; he wasn’t going to apologize or feel bad about saving his brother’s life. No, it was Vanya’s reaction that made it feel like his chest was being compressed. 

Seconds turned into minutes and neither said a word. The silence was killing him. His mind came up with a thousand scenarios. All of them ended with her telling him they couldn’t be friends anymore. So when Vanya placed her hand on his, he flinched and snapped his eyes back to her.

He expected to see anger in her eyes but was shocked to see the tenderness in them.

“You had to do what you had to, it’s not your fault.” 

For a moment he thought Vanya had said something else, like asking him how he could kill someone, but then he realized what she said and he just sat there, aghast. He had been so stressed and nervous about what she would say, certain that she, the one that used to cry when they stepped on ants, would hate him. To hear otherwise was a shock and relieving beyond measure. 

Vanya just sat there, not saying anything else on the matter, but she didn’t need to.

Turning his body, he took her into a hug, his chin resting on her shoulder. Her thin arms wrapped around his, stroking the back of his hair in a soothing rhythm. 

“Thanks, V,” he mumbled. The words felt so alien in his mouth, but they were genuine. It was like something heavy had been lifted off his chest, and he exhaled deeply. 

They stayed like that for what felt like forever, every muscle in his body uncoiling and relaxing in her arms. Once they separated, they just sat there without saying a word. Finding the silence a little calming after how hectic the mission was, (and yet a little awkward,) he turned to say something when he noticed her attention on his hands. Following her gaze, he realized he was still holding onto his domino mask. 

Turning to look back at her, he offered her the mask. Her eyes widened when he did. 

“Try it on.”

Vanya didn’t take the mask from him right away, staring at it for some time as if debating whether she should. Eventually, though, she took the mask from him and, with a deep breath, put it on. 

It was a bit too big for her, but thankfully the mask stayed in place. When he saw the wonder and awe in her face when she put the mask on, it made him smile, the last remnant of stress from the mission draining out of him. 

Turning her head from side to side, her brows furrowed a little. 

“It’s kinda hard to see through it.” 

“Yea, it takes some time to get used to it.” 

After a few seconds of looking through the mask, her frown softened, and she turned towards him once more, an excited smile on her face. But seeing as she was wearing the mask, she didn’t gauge how close they were, putting them almost face to face. It made every muscle in his body clench. 

“How do I look?” 

Five blushed. The butterfly feeling in the pit of his stomach was no surprise to him. He knew for some time that he had developed a bit of a crush on her, but he just didn’t know how to tell her, or if he should even tell her. Did she even share his feelings? What if she didn’t? He would be left looking like a total fool, and then their friendship would be ruined. He couldn’t let his personal feelings damage that. 

He cleared his throat and averted his eyes before he mumbled awkwardly. 

“Good.”

Thankfully, she didn’t notice the blush that coloured his cheeks as she grinned and continued to look around the room. 

Staying by her side, he let her wear it for as long as she wanted. He knew Vanya was jealous of their hero lives, that she wished she could be one of them. And though he would never say it to her, he was happy that she wasn’t. Not because she wasn’t one of them, but because she would never have to go through the things they went through, that she would never have blood on her hands like the rest of them did. And he would make sure that she never did.

* * *

Their feet landed on grass. The blue flash of his power dissipated, electrifying the surrounding air. Five blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sudden sunlight, aggravating his headache. Beside him, Vanya stayed still for a long few seconds, her mind no doubt catching up with what just happened. But once she did, it was like a small typhoon had gone off. 

Jerking out of his hold as if he had burned her, Vanya spun on the spot. The glare she shot him made him flinch. The bright sunlight above them was swallowed whole by dark clouds as the wind began to pick up, sweeping his hair back. 

“What did you do?” She asked, shoulders shaking. “Where did you take us?”

Five considered not telling her, seeing as it would be safer if she didn’t know, but when the wind picked up he sighed. 

“Germany.” 

Her brows shot up, surprised for a second, no doubt shocked by how far they travelled, but her anger returned and she glared daggers at him. 

“Why?!” She growled, voice sharp, the edge of her irises flashing a little blue. 

Five pursed his lips. 

When Diego had barged into his room, screaming his name, at first he thought he was angry for any dumb reason. It wasDiego, he was always angry about something. But when he told him his friend was killed by the commission like in his reality, it was like the air had been taken out of his lungs. All the plans he had made to keep them all together were instantly discarded as the more pressing need to keep her safe took over his priorities. 

When he arrived in this reality, one of the first things that came to his mind was the commission. Of course, he knew there was a chance they would be in this reality. But with no briefcase or way to contact them, there wasn’t much he could do except wait for them to show up. So when years went by, he started to suspect they never would but he was never one to be careless. So he made a contingency plan in the off chance they ever returned and built a cabin deep inside the forest and made sure they could never find them. Vanya was always their target, not to mention that he needed to protect her. Nothing else mattered.

Of course, he worried about the rest of his siblings who he just left behind, but they could take care of themselves. Vanya on the other hand, while she could control her powers, something she thankfully inherited from this reality’s Vanya, she probably didn’t inherit her control over her emotions and that was a problem. That was always the problem with Vanya’s powers. Seeing as emotions fueled them, she also felt them much more strongly. The Vanya from this reality knew how dangerous losing control could be, so she learned from an early age not to let her emotions get the best of her. But Vanya from his reality? She spent her entire life with her emotions dampened.

But on top of everything, she was also pregnant. Just the thought of the commission so much as being close to her and his unborn child made him sick. 

“I told you,” he said, meeting her eyes. “I’m doing this to protect you, Vanya.” 

“By completely ignoring everything I said?” 

Vanya scoffed, the wind swept her hair as it picked up. Five furrowed his brows, his muscles coiling as her powers electrified the space around him.

He wasn’t worried about her hurting anyone by accident; they were hundreds of miles away from civilization, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her lose control, knowing that she’dregret it once she calmed down. 

Five extended his hand, as one would do when calming a scared and wounded animal. 

“Listen to me, Vanya,” he whispered, trying to soothe her. “You’re not thinking straight, we-“

As soon as those words left his mouth, he instantly knew they were the wrong thing to say.

Vanya’s eyes widened, and her face contorted into one of anger, the blue in her eyes expanding. A shiver crawled down his spine.

“What? And you are?” She snapped and pointed at him. “That was always the problem with you, you always think you’re right, that you know best. The prodigy Number Five, always thinking he’s better than all of us.” she shook her head and sneered. “You’re just like Dad.” 

In all his life Five had had rather colourful insults thrown his way, but he always waved them away without pause. But to be compared with the asshole that ruined all their lives, and from someone like Vanya no less, it cut deep. He knew she wasn’t actually angry at him, what she was feeling was probably all the confusion she felt these past few days, the fear about the commission coming back, the possible end of the world she could still cause, and the anger at the whole situation all fusing together, but it was still difficult not to take it personally. 

The pained expression that no doubt dominated his face twisted into one of anger as he set his jaw and he ground his teeth.

“If you want to rage at me, fine,” he gestured around them. “You want to level the forest, do it.”

“But it won’t change my decision,” He took a step towards her. “What I’m doing, I’m doing it to protect you both.”

Vanya shook her head.

“Protect us? Right,” she scoffed. 

“Yes, protect you,” he hissed back.

A wiser man might have stepped back and diffused the situation, knowing that getting angry at her would only make things worse, but he wasn’t a wise man. He loved Vanya, but  _ god _ could she be stubborn sometimes, which only clashed with his stubbornness.

“By hiding while everyone else is left behind?”

Five spread his arms.

“What do you expect me to do, Vanya?” He asked, angling his body towards her. “To let you fight the commission when you’re pregnant with our child? Do you really think I would let that happen?”

She bared her teeth.

“It’s not on you to make decisions for me.” 

His nostrils flared.

“No, but it’s on me to protect  _ you _ .” 

Above them the clouds turned darker, mirroring Vanya’s emotions as rain began to fall. 

“Why? Because you say you love me?” She asked, losing some sharpness in her voice. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not that Vanya! Just because I look like her doesn’t mean you owe me anything.” 

It was like the air had been punched out of him, the rage inside him disappeared without a trace. Five stood there, frozen, the scowl on his face lifting. His eyes widened as he looked at her in disbelief. 

“Do you really think I’m doing this because I owe you something?” 

Vanya, his best friend, confidant, the only person he truly came to love that wasn’t made of plastic, actually thought that the only reason he was doing all of this was because he owed her? As if he didn’t have any other reason to protect her. Did she really think so lowly of him? 

For once, the anger in her eyes faded as her brows slanted a little when she noticed the disbelief and pain in his voice. Around them, the wind stopped howling, and the rain stopped as the blue in her eyes disappeared. For a second she seemed like she wanted to apologize as the Vanya he knew returned, but it was too late for that.

Five scoffed and shook his head, schooling his expression into its usual unreadable one, and occupied his mind with complex equations. 

“It doesn’t matter anyway, we’re here now. There’s no way for you to go back, might as well accept it.” 

Before he could see her reaction, he turned and walked the other way. Thankfully, she didn’t continue to argue this time. 

As Five walked deeper into the woods, he didn’t hear Vanya following for a few seconds, but then he heard the crunch of leaves and sighed, relieved. Neither said a word as they walked for a couple of minutes until they made it to the cabin. 

Five gazed at it.

It wasn’t much to look at, just a log cabin. Even from the outside, it looked small, just big enough for a kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom. Of course, he would have loved to make it bigger, but that would attract too much attention. They weren’t here for a vacation; they were here to hide from the commission. Of course, it didn’t really matter how far and secluded their hiding spot was, the commission could still find them with their technology one way or another. It might take them some time, but they would. That was why he placed devices of his own design under the ground surrounding the cabin.

The commission could look all they want, but they would never find them. To them, it would be like they didn’t even exist. 

He stopped, and Vanya stood beside him, looking up at the cabin. “There’s no internet, phone or radio, it’s just us out here,” he told her, in case she decided to do something stupid.

“So what? I’m just your prisoner?” She gestured at the cabin. “Is this my new cage? Or do you have an anechoic chamber in there too?” 

He sighed, his shoulders falling. The stress of the last few days hit him like a truck, overcoming him with exhaustion. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and have her safe and warm in his arms, but he knew it was more likely that hell would freeze over than for that to happen. 

He turned to face her.

“I would never do that to you.” 

He didn’t know what it was if it was the sudden softness in his voice, or she caught a flash of vulnerability he hadn’t noticed, but she took a step towards him and gave him a pleading look.

“Then take me back to the academy.” 

Five grit his teeth to the point they might break. He could never say no when she asked for something. He always had to give her what she wanted, but he couldn’t allow his weakness for her to prevail, not this time. 

“I can’t do that Vanya, I’m sorry.” 

He watched as pain flashed behind her eyes before she nodded and hardened her expression. The coldness in her eyes twisted his heart.

“Then this  _ is _ a prison.” 

With that, she sidestepped him and entered the cabin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I hope everyone had great Christmas and New Year's!! 
> 
> Sorry for taking so long to post this!!! I've been really busy with the secret santa fiveya event, and with the holidays but now I'm back yay! 
> 
> And Vanya and Five are back to square one, or more like square -1. Things are not looking well there. 
> 
> But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm really thankful for all the support and comments, I really am! Thank you guys!


	18. Heartbeats

Vanya was playing the violin, bow sliding against the strings with a little too much force. Outside, rain was falling, hitting the window like bullets. 

It had been a day since they arrived at the cabin. A day since Five disregarded her decision and brought them to the middle of nowhere while the rest of their family was left behind to fend for themselves. 

Her first reaction had of course been anger, and disbelief mixed in with a lot of frustration. How could Five do that to her? To take her away against her free will and imprison her? Like Luther and Dad did? The memory of waking up in the anechoic chamber, unable to breathe or hear a thing, begging her siblings, those that were supposed to care about her the most to let her out, kept flashing before her eyes. Naively, she thought that if Five had been there, he would have let her out, he would have seen her as something more than just a threat, but she was wrong and that realization hurt. 

During her first hour at the cabin, she thought that maybe she should just leave, she could after all fly, maybe she could return to New York. But she quickly shut down that idea. Even if she could fly back, then Five would likely spatial jump to her and bring her back. She wanted to believe he wouldn’t do that, but she knew she was just kidding herself. Once Five made up his mind about something, nothing could change it. He would fight tooth and nail to keep her locked up. 

And so for the entirety of the first day she had glared at him as she sat by the small table in the kitchen.

She kept thinking back on their confrontation and felt a little guilty about the things she said, knowing she didn’t mean them, but she wouldn’t take them back either. What he did was wrong. Still, the anger soon drained out of her, leaving her feeling exhausted and empty. 

For the rest of the first day, they didn’t talk to each other, and while she ignored him entirely, he monitored her at all times. Everywhere she went and everything she did, he would watch her at the corner of his eye, as if afraid she might bail or do something. 

When nighttime came, she retired to the room, only to realize that there was only one bed. At first, she had been annoyed, but when Five came inside the room and took a few blankets and pillows and laid them on the floor without saying a word. She settled on the cozy bed, while he slept on the floor, a few blankets on the hardwood and a pillow to make him a little more comfortable. For a moment she had been tempted to tell him to take the couch, seeing as it was more comfortable than the floor, or even tell him to sleep with her, but she said neither. She knew he didn’t want to take her out of his sight, and she was still too angry to share the bed with him even though it pained her to hear him rolling around, trying to find a comfortable spot. 

When morning came she woke up, still very much exhausted, not having slept well. After they both exited the room, she continued to ignore him, not once speaking to him as she sat by the table while he made breakfast. Even when he placed a bowl full of oatmeal in front of her she bit her retort, but almost nearly threw it out the window.

After he somehow coaxed her to eat it, mostly because she was starving and the baby needed food too, she took the violin she found in the room while he sat on the couch and did what he always did; he wrote. 

At first, she had been uncertain about playing it, the memories of the theatre flashing back to her. What if she lost control? Or use her powers by accident? But if that was a possibility, then why did Five keep a violin? Why not take it from her, or warn her that she couldn’t play it? Could it be because he didn’t think letting her play the violin was dangerous? 

And so, with shaky hands, Vanya had taken the violin between her fingers, and she almost instantly relaxed when the familiar shape of the wood rested against her neck. It wasn’t her violin, but it was still familiar. And so, without thinking about it too much, she filled the unbearable silence with music. 

For what felt like hours she played piece after piece, but instead of relaxing her, as she had intended, she became progressively more and more frustrated. 

Vanya gritted her teeth, a prominent scowl dominated her expression. Outside, the weather reflected her mood. 

Ever since she woke up, she started to notice a very faint sound she couldn’t quite place. The strangest thing was that it followed her around, its rhythm always constant and fast. But it wasn’t loud, quite the opposite. She could barely hear it, but it was noticeable enough that it kept messing up her rhythm.

With a frustrated grunt, she lowered the violin and slumped down on the chair; her jaws clenched. This is what she needed, trapped inside the cabin with nothing to do, and now she couldn’t even play the violin. 

With nothing else to do, Vanya turned her head and observed Five to see if he was just as miserable as her. 

As he had been for the entire morning, he was still sitting on the couch, leaning over the coffee table as he wrote on his notebook with incredible speed. He was wearing his pyjamas still, and a 5-o’clock shadow was visible on his jaw and cheeks. His hair was mused from having pushed it back too many times. 

Vanya narrowed her eyes and did what she found herself doing a lot since arriving, she tried to find similarities between this Five, and the younger version of him. 

In her observation, she found a few she hadn’t noticed before. Like his firm jaws and nose, and of course his eyes, but other than that he was completely changed. 

Just as Vanya shifted her eyes to the notebook Five was writing on, the familiar feeling of a flashback hit her. 

* * *

November 13th, 2004

**First mission.**

“What are you doing?” 

Not looking up from the notebook he had in his hands, a pencil between his fingers not once faltering or losing speed, he responded. 

“Calculations for our jump,” 

Vanya made an ah expression and nodded.

After Dad told them about their mission to prevent a plane from crashing, they had both gone to their separate rooms and got changed, their siblings staring at them with curiosity as they walked through the hallway. At first, she had been confused as to what she was supposed to change into, but then her eyes landed on her bed. Overcome with joy and excitement, she could barely believe that there was a new uniform waiting for her, much like one her siblings wore to missions. 

She wanted to put it on and see what she looked like with it in the mirror, but she had no time. She simply put it on and went to the armoury where Five would be waiting. 

As she had made her way through the hallways, all she felt was excitement. Not fear, no worry, just pure excitement. Finally, after all these years, she was going to go on her first mission. 

Vanya watched as Five looked up from his notebook, frowned as he did some mental math and went back to writing. 

“You _can_ get us up there?” She asked.

Once again he didn’t look up from his notebook. 

“Of course, have some faith.” He answered with a cocky smile that had her blushing. Thankfully, he didn’t see it.

She still didn’t understand how Five’s powers worked, despite him explaining it to her countless times. At first, she thought he just sort of used it, like she used her powers. It was just there all she had to do was focus and concentrate. But apparently not. His powers involved equations, even small spatial jumps. Apparently the closer the destination, and if he could see it, the easier it was. He just had to do some basic mental math in his head. However, for jumps further away to places he could not see, they required a lot more math. Just thinking about needing to use all that math to use her powers gave her a headache. Still, it was impressive that he had to do so much math and was still able to use his powers so effortlessly.

“I need to calculate the exact location of the plane, as well as where it will be. Otherwise, we risk jumping somewhere we don’t want to end up,” he grumbled. Vanya nodded in agreement. That would be disastrous indeed.

After a couple more seconds of just the sound of pencil scratching paper as he wrote down equations, pausing to erase a few times. Vanya began to feel antsy. Dad mentioned that the engine malfunction wasn’t yet critical, but that it soon would be. But apparently, that wasn’t the biggest concern, seeing as the pilot’s biggest problem was an issue with the controls. But the absolute worst part was that the plane was getting closer and closer to a major city. If they couldn’t fix the problem, then the repercussions would be disastrous. 

“Got it,” Five suddenly exclaimed, and she jumped a little on the spot. 

After placing his small notebook inside his pocket, he made his way to her and extended his hand. For a second she eyed it, but then stretched out her hand and grabbed it. But he didn’t teleport them right away. Instead, he stayed his ground and met her eyes. 

“Remember, if I see you can’t do it, I’m getting us out of there.” 

She was going to give him a quick nod; they needed to move fast. They already wasted enough time as it is. But then she noticed the seriousness and worry in his eyes, and she pursed her lips. She knew he was worried; he told her as much. How could she possibly stop an airplane from crashing? Even to her, that sounded a little impossible, but did she have any other choice?

After inhaling deeply, she nodded. Inside her chest, her heart sped up.

Five continued to stare at her for a bit, not seeming convinced, but he said nothing as his grip on her hand tightened. Before he spatial jumped them, Vanya held her breath. 

Electricity crackled around them, and when the odd sensation of Five’s power surrounded her, she gritted her teeth, and her stomach-churned. It was an odd sensation, like being weightless as her body felt like it was floating in stasis. Thankfully, it didn’t last for long as it almost instantly stopped as they reached their destination in less than a second. 

When their feet landed on the metal floor of the airplane’s cabin, a lot of things happened at once, but the first thing Vanya noticed as her knees hit the aisle of the plane was the ear ringing, loud noises coming from all around the cabin, making her over-sensitive ears feel like they were going to burst. The next thing she noticed was the chaos. All around them people were screaming and swinging their arms around as if that would somehow make their situation better. 

Five was the first to get back up on his feet, his legs shaky, seeing as the entire plane was shaking and wobbling uncontrollably. Vanya watched him as he straightened his back and looked at the passengers.

“We’re the Umbrella Academy, we’re here to help,” Five announced, his voice slightly monotone as if he was reciting a phrase he had long memorized and was tired of it. 

Vanya turned her attention back to the passengers and rose to her feet. 

She guessed most people that heard those words were overcome with joy and maybe even excitement, but with the state of panic everyone was in, they didn’t so much as look their way as they continued to scream.

“Right,” Five huffed and turned to look at her, his brows furrowed, his expression devoid of any fear or shock. After so many life-threatening missions, such danger and a state of chaos had no effect on him “Seven, can you try to slow down the plane with your powers? I’ll go have a talk with the pilot.”

It was like the air was punched out of her. 

All excitement instantly drained out of her and she was left with dread as the reality of the situation hit her. He was leaving her? In all this chaos? What was she supposed to do?

Turning on the spot, he was about to spatial jump to the cockpit but before he did; he stopped and looked over his shoulder. 

“Can you handle it?” He asked, uncertain. 

She formed her lips into a tight line, her eyes wide. She wanted to take a hold of his arm and stop him from leaving but then she imagined their Father’s voice in her head, scoffing at her for showing such fear and nodded instead. 

Five didn’t seem at all convinced as he eyed her for a second.

“Remember, the situation is not yet critical. The pilots can still salvage the situation, we might not have to do a thing, but we gotta be ready for the worse.” 

Being a pessimist, she knew that wasn’t likely to happen. How could the pilots possibly fix this problem? She also knew that if there was even a slight possibility of that, their father wouldn’t have sent them. 

“I got it, go check on the pilot,” she told him, her voice a little softer than she would have liked. 

Five didn’t say another word as he spatial jumped and left her, all alone in the cabin, full of screaming people. 

“Right,” she mumbled to herself. All she had to do was use her powers to slow down a plane over 100,000 pounds mid-flight, not so hard. 

Vanya widened her stance, her knees wobbled a bit, but she stood her ground. Certain that she wouldn’t lose her footing, she slowly let go of the seat she had been holding onto and brought her hands up, palms facing forward. She took a deep breath and slid her eyes close as she concentrated on a sound, easier said than done. With the engine screeching in a deafening loudness, and people screaming and the luggage rattling in their compartment, as well as a million other sounds, she found it impossible to concentrate on just one. She never had this problem before during training.

Heartbeat picking up, panic began to spread around her like tendrils, twining all around her and clenching. Her brows squeezed together, and her jaw clenched, her nose flared. Her state was made worse by the terrified screams of women, men and even children, feeling their eyes on her, no doubt expecting her to do something. It only made her more nervous. 

For what felt like hours to her but were just seconds she kept trying and trying, but to no such luck. 

When something took a hold of her belt, her eyes snapped open and she turned to look to the side. 

Grabbing her belt was a kid, his eyes wide, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at her.

Vanya choked on a gasp.

What if she couldn’t do this? She had never done anything like this. So what if she could not stop the plane from crashing? Nothing would happen to her, Five would spatial jump them to safety, but he couldn’t take anyone else with him. Everyone on the plane would die. It was then that the realization of what she was doing, of what she had spent her entire life training for, meant. 

A small gasp escaped her lips. 

Everyone was depending on her, their lives on the line. From the outside, it always seemed so glamorous, their work as heroes, but now she had come to realize the responsibility it came with. And she didn’t know she could handle it. 

As a tear rolled down her eye as fear gripped her heart, the chaos inside the cabin getting to her, she hopelessly kept trying to use her powers, but the more the seconds ticked by the more out of reach her powers became. In all her life, with all her training, she had never felt so hopeless, never felt so powerless, so useless. Dad was right, she wasn’t ready, and she would never be ready.

Feet wobbling uncontrollably with fear, she sank to her knees and gripped her hair as she wept. Just then, Five spatial jumped back to the cabin, his eyes wide, teeth bare. 

“Damn it, one of the engines just failed, and the other is barely holding on. The pilot won’t be able to make a safe landing he-“

When his eyes landed on her, he froze.

“Vanya?” He asked, throwing aside the rule of calling her by her number, as they all had to during a mission.

“I tr-tried to slow down the plane like you said, but I-I can’t focus, it’s too loud, I can’t…” she trailed off and screwed her eyes shut. 

As he let out a sigh and she heard his footsteps get closer, she expected Five to spatial jump them out of the plane as he put his hand on her shoulder. Vanya felt guilt twist and curl inside her, seeing the boy’s face in her head as she waited for the odd sensation of Five’s power. However, when Five fell to his knees and pulled her towards him, she froze as her cheek fell on his chest and he cupped the back of her head. 

“Hey, it’s ok,” he soothed. “Just focus on me,” he instructed her.

Tears fell down her cheeks with more force. She was scared.

For a second she wanted to ask him to take them away from this place, but then his words processed in her head and she got an idea.

She took a deep breath to settle herself. 

For a second she just stayed there, trying desperately to focus again, but she was once more overwhelmed by the sounds, but this time she could pick up on something. It was faint, barely discernible within all the chaos, but the familiarity of it made it sound even louder than it was.

Hand clenching around his shoulders, she focused on Five’s heartbeat. 

All these years she had become familiar with each of her siblings’ heartbeats, it was a practice of hers to listen to them sometimes. She could tell them apart among a crowd of thousands of people, his more than anyone. It was a bit strange, but she liked the sound of his heartbeat. She liked how steady, almost soft it was. When they were kids, she would press her ear against his chest, fascinated by the sound. At that very moment, his heartbeat was faster than normal, but at least it wasn’t erratic like everyone else’s, keeping a fast yet steady rhythm she could concentrate on. 

When Five’s heartbeat was the only thing she could hear, practically thumping in her ears, she took a deep breath to steady herself and pushed herself off of his chest. For a brief second, she met Five’s eyes and nodded, renowned determination spread through her, taking away the fear. 

Raising herself to her feet, she lifted her hands and pushed the energy of her powers to surround the plane, and this time it worked. 

The only evidence of her powers everyone could perceive was the metallic groan the hull of the plane made as her powers pushed against it, causing the passengers to panic further. They didn’t understand what was going on. However, Vanya didn’t focus on them as she spread her powers. Once they surrounded the entirety of the plane, she focused on making the invisible force field push against the plane so it could levitate. It was far from the first time she’s done something like that, but this is definitely the first time she attempted it with something this big. At first, she thought it wouldn’t be much of a challenge, but when she kept losing her grip around the plane, she frowned and panicked once more. 

“What’s wrong?” Asked Five over the screams. 

Vanya shook her head, trying repeatedly to levitate the plane, but with no luck. In fact, it only made it worse as every attempt was draining her energy, and compromised the integrity of the plane’s hull, crushing it like a tin can. It was like trying to hold on to something she couldn’t see fully, and she was using just one finger to balance it. If she had a clearer view of the plane from another angle, she could do it.

She turned her head to look at him and opened her mouth to answer when the engine suddenly exploded with a loud bang and the plane dipped. 

The cabin went dark and everyone screamed louder than they ever had before.

With wide, terrified eyes, and ear ringing, her arms flailed aimlessly as she tried to grab onto something but couldn’t make any purchase and went flying down the aisle. On her way down she hit the luggage compartment, and she saw stars.

“Vanya!” Five shouted over the terrified screams, but she barely heard it as her head pounded, her vision blurred.

She vaguely heard the sound of Five’s spatial jump as he kneeled by her side, resting on the door. She blinked and looked up at him. Five was frowning, concerned, fear, and even anger clear in his eyes as he grabbed her arm. 

“That’s it, I’m-“

“No!” She yelled, her mind rewiring itself again. 

For a second Five seemed shocked by her reaction as his eyes widened, and he jumped a little on the spot.

Vanya grit her teeth and pushed herself off the door.

“I can’t leave these people.” 

Five gaped, but she didn’t let him argue as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She couldn’t focus inside the plan, couldn’t see what she was doing. She needed to go outside to do it. 

“Five, I need you to teleport me outside,” she told him matter of factly. 

Five blinked, his brows shot up as he looked at her with horror.

“Are you mad? There’s no way I’m go-“

“We don’t have much time!” She cut him off.

She needed to do this. It was the only way. Too much was at stake to be worrying about safety. 

For once in her life, the cocky, overconfident Five was looking at her with concern. If this had been another time, she would have been shocked.

“Vanya, I-“

“Either you do it, or I’m breaking one of the windows and jumping out!”

Five clenched and unclenched his jaw as he weighed their choices and even saw something flash behind his eyes, and she knew he was considering disregarding her and taking them to safety. She couldn’t have that. If this plane fell she would never forgive herself. 

Vanya grabbed his wrist, and her brows curved. 

“Please Five, you have to trust me, I can do _this_!” 

Everything seemed to slow down as they stared at each other. Her heart was hammering inside her chest, worried that he would refuse, but then he pursed his lips, fear clear in his eyes and nodded and grabbed her by the shoulder. 

When he suddenly spatial jump them outside of the plane, she was overwhelmed with the powerful gust of wind and plummeted for a few seconds before she managed to focus and levitated on the spot. 

She hastily looked around her, but Five was nowhere in sight but she could still hear his heartbeat, which meant that he had spatial jumped inside the plane again. 

Eyes lowering, she gazed at the plane as it plummeted to the city below, while the people there were none the wiser of the danger they were in. Her heart leaped into her throat. Not just because if she failed, thousands would die, but also because Five was in there.

This was it, this was what she had spent her whole life training, it all came down to this moment. 

Taking a deep breath, having some trouble breathing given the altitude, she gritted her teeth and put everything she had behind her powers as she gathered as much energy as she could. When she was brimming with it, she growled and spread her powers around the plane. 

A brief second of panic fueled shock, she nearly thought it wouldn’t work, but then the plane suddenly stopped falling and levitated midair. Vanya blinked, completely surprised, but then a wide grin spread on her lips and she gave out a shaky chuckle. She had stopped the plane, she couldn’t believe it. 

She gave out another nervous chuckle as power thrummed through her fingers, obeying her every command, making her skin prickle. In all her life she had never used her powers to this extent, usually, she just used them to do small things, it amazed her how exhilarating it felt to not have to hold back. 

Unable to spend too much time enjoying her achievement, seeing as they weren’t yet in the clear, she slowly descended to the city, keeping a tight hold on the plane. It was heavy, and she had to strain her powers quite a bit, but she was confident she could maintain her hold on it. 

When she noticed the city getting closer, she slowed down and waited for the cars and the people on the street to get out of the way before letting go of the plane. She rolled her eyes when a few people screamed historically, startled. Once the streets were cleared, she gently put the plane down and flew to the front of the plane to face the cockpit. 

Almost as soon as she appeared in front of the window of the cockpit, Five jumped inside and stood between the pilot and co-pilot, matching their expressions of awe and shock. But unlike the pilot and co-pilot who continued to stare at her dumbfoundedly, Five’s eyes glinted with something she could only explain as pride as the edges of his lips curled into a wide grin.

* * *

With a lurch, Vanya returned to the present time. She blinked a couple of times to get the haziness out of her eyes. 

So that had been her first mission? She shouldn’t be surprised with everything the other version of Vanya had achieved. But It still amazed her how powerful she was at only fifteen years of age. Being able to levitate a plane midair? Not to mention how brave she was, she could never hope to do those things. In her own reality, she couldn’t even control her powers, and her siblings often joked she was afraid of her own shadow. It then also made her wonder how differently Five would have acted if that Vanya had been in her place. Of course, there was no doubt in her he would have listened to her. 

Vanya clenched her jaw. 

If she had been the other Vanya, he would have trusted her judgment, he wouldn’t have brought her here. He would have-

Her eyes narrowed as the faint thumping sound returned, and with it her headache. 

Vanya turned her head from side to side. Where was it even coming from? It was too close to be coming from outside, but to faint to be close, not to mention that it followed her. Its speed and rhythm also made little sense. It was a quick thump, followed by another soon after, both just as tiny, just as soft-

And then it hit her.

Vanya’s eyes widened, and then she gasped. Before she could so much as blink, Five spatial jumped to where she was sitting and knelt in front of her, his hands took a hold of her wrist.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, a worried frown on his brows. 

She didn’t answer right away, her mouth opened and closed twice before she managed to re-gather herself and answer. 

“I can hear it,” she smiled with wonder. “I can hear their heartbeats.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so that was part two of the first missions. I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you guys liked it! Also, both Five and Vanya continue to be difficult, but what can you do?
> 
> And finally, the twin pregnancy is revealed!!! I know a lot of you guys have been asking for it, and finally, I'm able to reveal it! hopefully, that revelation can bring Five and Vanya back together again, right? 
> 
> ALSO, I've finally reached 100k words!!! I'm so happy this story has made it this far and we're only a little over halfway through. I have to thank all of you guys for your continued support, I wouldn't have made it this far into the story otherwise! Love all you guys!!!!


	19. Twins

Five knelt in front of Vanya, mouth hanging open, eyes wide. 

For the longest time, he just knelt in front of her, his hands on top of hers, eyes locked on the uncertain smile on her lips. For a moment he thought he had heard wrong, that she had said something else. But she hadn’t. She definitely said she could hear their heartbeats. _Their_ heartbeats, as in plural, and then it hit him. Not only was Vanya carrying one baby, but two.

Inside his chest, his heart sped up. His breathing quickened as excitement gripped him.

“You’re having twins?” His voice was soft, barely audible.

Vanya didn’t answer, she nodded instead. She was as shocked as he was.

“How can you be sure?” He asked, intrigued.

“I can hear two heartbeats, they’re faint but they’re there.”

Five stared down at her belly. She was only on her fifth week of pregnancy, so she was far from showing, but just the knowledge, and now the confirmation that his children were growing inside her, it brought forth a feeling he had never felt before. Like his body weighed less than it did, and every single worry he had been feeling for the last few days drained out of him, replaced with an elated one.

For the first time in his life, he wished he had a different power. He wished he could have a power like Vanya’s, so he could hear their heartbeats. He could only imagine how soft they must be, seeing as they’re no bigger than a seed. But they’re probably just as strong and healthy as he would imagine.

And then the realization hit him like a train, and he froze solid. 

He was going to be a father. And while he had known that for days now, he hadn’t quite realized what that meant until now.

In all his life he had never pictured himself as a father, never once thought of the possibility. In the apocalypse, often wondering whether he would ever make it out of there, he never once thought about it, especially as the years passed and he grew older. The possibility of ever having a family of his own slipped from his mind. Even when he arrived at this reality, and he had Vanya with him, he still hadn’t considered it. How could he? He was the furthest thing from a fatherly figure, how could he ever dream of having children of his own? He knew nothing about being a father, or what a proper father should be like. All he knew was the life at the academy, of his father’s less than exemplar parenting, if he could even call it that. But when the Vanya of this reality asked about having children, what else could he do but give in to her wishes? He would give her anything she wanted, despite how nervous he was about the idea. And yet, it somehow always felt like something that wouldn’t happen any time now, and here he was, the father of not just one baby, but two, that would be born in a few months and be absolutely dependent on them. 

“Twins,” he repeated, incredulously. Still not believing it.

Although she hadn’t seemed as excited by the knowledge of being pregnant at first, and he didn’t blame her, she shared his expression of wonder and amazement, as if they had both just learned the most earth-shattering secret.

She inhaled a shaky breath and nodded, and his jaw clenched. 

Five couldn’t hold himself back as he lunged and took her into a hug. His arms wrapped around her waist, his much larger body covering most of her’s. Under him he felt her stiffen, her breathing hitched. He knew she still wasn’t too comfortable around him, especially with physical contact, despite her bathing him while he was drunk. It made his heart squeeze a little, knowing that the mother of his children and the closest thing he would ever have would react like that. But he needed to have his arms around her. This was the most important moment of his life.

“I’m sorry,” he stifled against her hair but didn’t let go of her.

She let out a soft sigh and melted against his hug, as she wrapped a small arm around his shoulders. They stayed like that for what felt like minutes, finding comfort in each other. To him, it was like every knot in his muscle eased the longer he spent in her arms. 

When they finally separated, he held onto her wrists, refusing to let go of her just yet.

“What do we do know?” She asked, the exhaustion showing in her eyes. “With the commission around?”

It was like his blood froze solid as the excited, joyous moment was shattered. 

In all his excitement he had forgotten about the commission, about their current situation, and he asked himself the same question. What about the commission? He had no idea whether their children would inherit either of their powers, or both, or none at all. Claire didn’t inherit Allison’s rumour, much to their relief. So he assumed their powers just couldn’t be passed on to their children until Luther’s son George nearly snapped his fingers in half the first time he met him. So clearly it was possible for them to pass on their powers to their children, and if the commission learned about that they would no doubt target them. They knew what he could do alone, they would no doubt imagine what an entire group could be capable of. 

Five felt like the air was punched out of him. Just the thought of the commission getting their hands on their children made his insides feel like they were being twisted. 

Despite knowing that she was pregnant for two days now, it seemed the realization of what that meant had only just hit her.

“What if they never stop looking for us? We can’t stay here forever.” 

The space between his brows crinkled, and he worked his jaw.

“I know.” His hold on her wrist tightened. “But for now this is the safest place for the _four_ of us.” 

It made something in his stomach flutter when he said the four of them, cementing the fact that they were now a small family. 

Vanya wrinkled her nose, not at all happy by that answer. He knew she disliked being locked up in here, that she wanted to be out there and do something. When she told him the cabin was like a prison, it had made guilt twist within him. He heard what Luther did to her before they left their reality, and what dad also did to her. To think that he, too, was doing the same thing made him feel like a monster, but what other choice did he have? 

“I promise we’ll figure something out, you just gotta trust me. I know the commission better than anyone.”

“What about the others?”

Five pursed his lips. Once again he was reminded of their siblings, one of the primary reasons she didn’t want to leave. 

“They can take care of themselves, Vanya.” He angled his hand, so it was pressed on top of hers, blanketing them with his. “And besides, they’re in more danger with us around.”

Vanya furrowed her brows and stared at their hands. Clearly, she hadn’t considered that before.

It’s not just you, they are after, they no doubt still want my head.” 

She let out a long exhale and met his eyes, the exhaustion in them clear to see. 

“I think you’re right,” she conceded and he nearly gave out a relieved sigh, but she spoke again. “But there are a few things you need to tell me.” 

He frowned.

“What?” 

Vanya didn’t answer him right away. She took a deep breath and shifted a little on the spot.

“I want you to tell me about your time in the commission.”

Five stiffened. Why was she suddenly so interested in that? Again? 

“I already told you about my time there, I-”

“No, you didn’t, you just gave me the abbreviated version,” she cut him off. “You didn’t have time before, but while we’re trapped in here, we both got nothing but time.” 

Five just knelt in front of her, his jaw clenched, and his hands clasped her’s tight. 

Apart from Luther, Vanya was the only one out of all his siblings that knew what his job entailed at the commission. But unlike Luther, he kept a lot of what he did out of his explanation to her. She, therefore, had no idea about all the terrible things he did, at least to an extent. He worried that if he told her she might think differently of him, that she might hate him. Yes, she sort of forgave him for all he did in the commission yesterday, but that was easy to do when she didn’t know the full extent. Not to mention that she also asked to know about his time in the apocalypse, something he didn’t want to revisit. It wasn’t something he liked to think about often, much less talk about. 

Her voice lowered.

“I think it’s time you told me the truth, about everything. About your time at the apocalypse, and the commission.”

Five closed his eyes briefly and let out a long sigh. He could never say no to her. 

After grabbing a chair from the kitchen, he got himself comfortable. Vanya didn’t say a word as she watched him intently, giving him all the time he needed.

Before he changed his mind, he spoke. 

He started with the apocalypse. He told her about his time there. About all the struggles, all the things he had to do to survive, how he coped. He told her how her autobiography kept him going, how it made him feel like she had been there with him. While all his siblings knew about Dolores, none of them knew about that. It made him feel exposed to say it, especially to her. However, when she didn’t judge him. Her eyes softened instead, and he continued.

Five told her of the times he had gone hungry, how he nearly died more than a handful of times. Of how alone he felt, how he craved to hear another person’s voice. To hear anything at all. How the constant silence nearly caused him to go insane. He even told her how he felt like he never left at times. How he sometimes woke up thinking he was back there, all alone, doomed to the consequences of his mistakes until he died. He told her how those moments would happen when he was with this reality’s Vanya, and he had to keep them from her, even though she would eye him with worry as if she knew something was wrong. He then told her how much he had missed them all, especially her, his only friend. How much he wished he could go back, that he could just see them one more time. 

After he was done telling her about the apocalypse, he took a deep breath and told her about his time in the commission, keeping nothing out. He didn’t go into too much detail about how he did his job, but he didn’t keep out the fact that he killed innocents. He even told her of those kills he regretted the most, and though it felt like someone was twisting a knife inside him, it felt like a weight had been taken from his shoulders. Much like she did when he talked about the apocalypse, she didn’t interrupt as she listened intently. 

Once he was done with his time at the apocalypse and the commission, he leaned back in his chair, feeling more relieved than he ever felt before. He never thought how much letting everything out would make him feel like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was never one to open up about his problems, even with Vanya. He always saw it as a weakness because their Father claimed it was a weakness to seek help. And he guessed, despite being a damn bastard, a lot of his terrible upbringing still stuck around. Still, that didn’t mean he would ever say the things he said to anyone else. Vanya was the only one he would ever confide in. She always was. She never judged him, never thought less of him, even when he admitted his weaknesses. 

It then occurred to him he hadn’t talked to her that way in a long time. He couldn’t very well tell this reality’s version of Vanya about his time in the commission or the apocalypse. Of course, that didn’t mean they didn’t talk or confided in one another. But what they confided were mostly everyday problems. About tough days at work, their hero work, bills to pay, stress, stuff like that. Now that he thought about it, he never had a deep conversation like this with the other version of Vanya. 

When he was done explaining, the room fell silent as they both stared at each other. Her brows were slanted, her mouth pressed together as she regarded him.

“Did my autobiography really help you that much?” She asked softly, yet her voice sounded so loud in the tiny space.

He nodded.

“It was the only connection I had to you, to all of you,” he said, shifting on his chair. “Through it I learned about Ben’s death, the academy’s falling out, your life outside the mansion. Every time I read it, it was like I wasn’t in the apocalypse anymore but with you, listening to you talk.”

He thought she would be surprised, or maybe shocked. What he didn’t expect was for her to avert her gaze and seem like she didn’t believe him, as she shrunk in on herself.

It was like a knife was thrust into his heart. 

Five leaned forward in his seat. Unable to bear the lack of contact, he placed his hand on hers, remembering all those times he would hold her hand when they were kids because it made him feel safe. 

He bent his head, trying to meet her averted gaze.

“You’re important to me, Vanya,” he breathed.

Before his time in this reality, he wouldn’t have been able to admit something like that. His perception of emotions as a weakness would have prevented him. But after spending all those years with her, making sense of his emotions and opening up about them, he found he didn’t give a damn what his father thought. If displays of emotions were a sign of weakness, then so be it. He would be weak for her if only her. 

Even though she still hadn’t met his gaze, he continued. He needed to say this. She needed to know because clearly; she was convinced he didn’t care about her. 

“And it’s not because of my time spent in this reality.” He pursed his lips. For some reason, his heart began to beat faster inside his chest. “You’re my best friend,” he repeated her words back to her. 

This was no longer about the relationship he had with the other Vanya, this was about their friendship, the bond they shared since they were kids. For the last few days, they both had behaved like they were strangers as if they didn’t even know each other. As if all those times they had sat in the kitchen when they were kids, talking and laughing hadn’t happened. As if those times he had gone to her room at night because he didn’t want to be alone never happened, and that made his chest constrict with pain. 

He hadn’t realized how distant they had grown apart these last few days. 

He knew it was his fault. It was like Ben and Allison had said; he went too fast. Expected too much of her. She was in a different world she didn’t understand; she was confused, much like he had been, and he made matters worse for her. 

_‘Who she needs is you,’_ Ben had told him, and he was right. 

He had been trying to avoid her all this time, giving her some space when he should have been there. By doing that he let her think it was all her fault. That wasn’t at all his intention, but that’s what she saw and he didn’t blame her. He would see it that way too. He made her retreat into herself, to blame herself, and he just let it happen. No wonder she was so mad at him for bringing her here against her wishes. 

Five bit the inside of his cheek. 

While there was nothing he could do about his love for her, he could at least be there for her and mend their friendship. For their sake, and for their children too. If all she ever wanted was his friendship, then he would gladly offer it to her, even if it would kill him not to have her love ever again. 

Five leaned closer towards her and prepared to do something he seldom did. 

“I know this whole thing is my fault, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for making you think this was all your fault when it isn’t. For avoiding you. For putting you in a situation where you had to take care of me, even though you had every right to just leave me lying on the floor.” He stroked her hand with his thumb, trying to comfort her. It felt strange to admit his wrongs at loud or to apologize. He never apologized, but if anyone in his life deserved an apology, it was her. “I’m sorry for bringing you here against your will. For everything.” 

He downcast his eyes. What came out of his lips didn’t even sound like him. 

“But if something happened to you, I don’t know what I would do.”

For the longest time, neither of them said anything as he let everything he said sink in. Every minute ticked by with a heaviness. He thought she would reject his apology as she should, and he didn’t know what to do if that happened. He couldn’t lose her.

“I don’t blame you Five,” she suddenly whispered, and he snapped his head up, meeting her soft brown eyes. “What would I even blame you for?” 

“For falling in love with the other Vanya? That’s not something you could have controlled.”

Five blinked, his body went very still. 

“For mourning the relationship you had with her? For losing your marriage? The happy life you could have had? How can I blame you for that?” She continued. Her voice firm. 

“Vanya I-“

“I’m not done,” she cut him off and he pressed his lips together. 

Vanya let out a soft sigh. 

“You can’t honestly think that I expected you to act like nothing happened, and move on.”

No, he did not expect that, but he expected that from himself. He should have done better. He always knew her return was a possibility, he should have been ready for it. He remembered how saddened he was by the knowledge that she would never arrive. And yet when she did he shut down, and he would always blame himself for that. 

Vanya turned her hands and took a hold of his, her grip firm. 

“The thing is, I don’t want your apology, I just want us to be friends again Five.” 

Letting out a shaky breath, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and nodded. He could do that, he could be her friend. 

Vanya gave him a small smile, the one she used to give him when they were kids and his stomach did a flip. Now that he thought about it, staying as just friends might be more of a challenge than he thought. 

When Vanya suddenly leaned back and took her hands from his, he almost pouted at the loss of contact. 

“That doesn’t mean I’m not mad about you dragging me here,” she huffed, and his shoulders fell. “And while I still think going back to our family is the best decision, I’ll trust you on this.”

Five stared at her, unsure if he heard her right, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she forgave him, and he would do everything in his power to make sure she didn’t regret it.

From now on, whatever problem they faced, whatever came their way, he would make it work. He had to. He would make sure their children grew up happy. That they had the childhood neither of them had, happy and loved by both their parents, away from any danger. He would be there for them, even if it killed him.

He gave her a genuine smile.

* * *

For the rest of the day, they both talked about their childhood, reminiscing about the good old days as well as the embarrassing moments. It was awkward at first, but they both soon got used to it and fell back to their forgotten friendship. Of course, it wasn’t like nothing had happened. There was still a barrier between them that hadn’t been there before, but he guessed in time they would have to overcome it. 

As the sun was replaced by the moon outside, he went to the kitchen while she remained in the living room, playing her violin once more. 

As she played, he went about making them food. Seeing as he hadn’t planned to come here, he hadn’t filled the pantry with fresh foods so all they had was canned food. He tried to make something nice, but there wasn’t much he could make with them. Still, he got creative. Years of leaving off of canned food gave him a certain advantage in knowing what went well with what. 

He made alphabet pasta with sausages and a few other things he found. He would much rather she had a more balanced dinner, especially with her pregnancy, but it would have to do.

After he placed both the plates on the table, he called her to eat after she finished her piece and they both sat by the round table. 

Taking a forkful of his food, he waited to take his first bite as he eyed her, wanting to see her reaction. 

Vanya took the first bite of her food and hummed, Five raised a brow. 

“You don’t have to spare my feelings, you can say how bad it is,” he mused. 

Vanya shrugged and took another forkful of her pasta. 

“I know, but this is actually good.” 

Unsure if she was joking, or if she was actually serious, he took a bite of his food and his brows shot up. Well, what do you know? Seems like he still had his culinary skills, at least when it came to canned food. 

“Not bad,” he agreed, pursing his lips and nodding, and Vanya chuckled. “It’s nice to hear that I can still cook.” 

She nodded but seemed a little surprised about his culinary skills. 

“For a second there, I worried that oatmeal was the only thing you knew how to prepare.” 

He snorted. 

“No, I can cook, I just don’t do it often.” 

Vanya took a sip of her water and frowned.

“Do you or the other Vanya not cook?”

He shook his head.

“Not often, we had a chef come in every week to prepare meals for us. Neither of us had time to cook, and eating out isn’t the healthiest choice.” 

“I see.” 

The air felt awkward again, and he sought to rectify that. 

“Her name is Jessica.” 

Vanya cocked her head. 

“What?” 

“The chef that makes our food, her name is Jessica, and you should try her food when we go back.” 

“That good, huh?” 

Five nodded. 

They ate in relative silence after that as they enjoyed their meal. Once they were finished, they cleaned their plates and put everything away. He insisted that she just sit down, but she was adamant about helping and he couldn’t say no. 

“I’ll go take a shower,” she told him, and he nodded, still busy putting a few things away, and she patted to the bathroom. 

When he heard the sound of the shower, he placed the last few pans inside the cabinets and walked to the windows. As he raised his hand to the curtain to pull it down, his eyes landed on the person standing outside and it was like the air had been punched out of him. 

Standing by the line that separated the cabin from the forest was the Handler, her unnecessarily ridiculously large hat making her identity unmistakable, despite how dark it was.

Heart rate rising, Five turned to glance back at the bathroom, considering taking Vanya and running. But then he turned back and saw her waving at him, and he walked out of the cabin.

How did she even find them? 

As he walked, he fixed his eyes on her, giving her the full intensity of his glare. 

“Hey there Five,” she sang as if he was an old friend. Five didn’t share the sentiment. 

“How are you here? How did you find us? It’s not possible, I made sure,” he hissed.

The Handler shot him her wide, arrogant smile that always grated on him.

“You’re the smart one, you figure it out.” 

Five frowned, unsure what she meant. But then it hit him. 

“The tramp, Diego’s friend, she’s working for you.” 

He scoffed and shook his head. He should know by now not to be so careless. She must have slipped a tracker on them when they passed her by in the hallway. After all these years, he was slipping. 

“Yes, and you’ll find she’s very resourceful.” 

He smiled widely, most people would have been terrified by it, but she simply tilted her head and continued to smile.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll make sure to kill her when this is all over.” 

The Handler chuckled.

“Oh Five, I’ve missed you.” She sighed and stepped towards him. “No one in the commission has that _spark_ of yours.” 

Standing his ground, muscles tensed, ready to spring into acting, he watched as The Handler circled him and eyed him up and down, a brow raised. When she hummed and placed her hand on his shoulder, he had to bite his cheek to prevent himself from stiffening. 

“My, you really have grown out of those shorts of yours, haven’t you?”

Bile rose inside him and he felt the urge to elbow her nose but fought it.

Once she was done circling him and roaming her eyes over him appreciatively, she stopped in front of him and gave him a small smile.

“The commission doesn’t know I’m here, or of your hideout, I hope we can keep it that way,” she said, cutting straight to business. 

Five set his jaw. His eyes searched her face for any deceit but found none. 

“What do you want?” 

She parted her arms. 

“Nothing really, I just need you to run a little errand for me.” 

A scoff escaped through his lips. What did she take him for?

“You seem to be under the impression that I still work for you,” he spat and straightened his back and sneered as he looked at the scar on her face. “We both know what happened the last time.” 

For once something other than mirth flashed behind her eyes, and her smile turned into a wide, almost terrifying one. 

“I won’t be making that mistake again, just as you won’t be making the mistake of saying no. Not unless you want something to happen to your little girlfriend,” the edge of her lip curled.“After all, I heard she’s pregnant, and it makes me wonder.” 

The Handler placed her index finger on her lips and gave him a thoughtful look. “What would the commission do with that knowledge?”

Smile slipping from his lips, his eyes blazed and his jaw clenched. Anger and fear burned deeply in his stomach, prompting him to ball his hand’s into fists before he did something stupid. 

“You’re not touching my family.”

The Handler didn’t seem at all taken aback by the clear anger in his voice. In fact, she smiled as if amused. 

“I won’t if you do this errand for me.” 

Five’s nose flared. He hated being told what to do, always did. His father always said it was a weakness of his, but he disagreed. He was nobody’s lapdog, and yet, he found himself biting his tongue.

“What _errand_?” He hissed, anger dripping down his voice.

The Handler raised her hand and waved her index finger. 

“You have to agree to it first.” 

He gritted his teeth.

“Right, and you expect me to leave Vanya behind while I do this little errand of yours without even knowing what it’s about?”

She nodded brightly. She was clearly enjoying this far too much. 

“Well, yes.”

“Not a chance,” he spat, his hands shaking from the barely contained anger. 

“Come on Five, what other choice do you have?” She chuckled. “If you don’t do this for me, I’ll just waltz back to the commission and tell them about your little hideout. They have been frantically searching for you since you dropped off the face of the earth after all.”

He tucked his hands inside his pockets and leaned on one leg, adopting a relaxed posture, even though every muscle in his body had tensed up. 

“Or, I could just kill you.” 

She nodded in agreement, not at all fazed. 

“You could, but do you really think I don’t have a contingency plan for that?”

He wanted to believe she didn’t, but he knew better. That girl that was with Diego no doubt knew she was here, and if something happened to her, she would probably go straight to the commission. 

She took a step towards him 

“I promise, while you’re away I will not hurt your little girlfriend, deal?” 

She stretched out her hand, and he eyed it with mistrust. 

“Oh come on Five, have I ever backed out of a deal? And besides, she’s not exactly defenceless. From what I heard she can still control her powers.”

Five still didn’t budge. 

“And besides, this deal would ensure your entire family’s safety and that of this world.” 

At that, he furrowed his brows and met her gaze. That did sound interesting. 

He didn’t want to leave Vanya alone with the Handler around, but what other choice did he have? His hands were tied. Even if they left and found a new hiding place, the commission would find them, eventually. It took him years to build this hiding spot, he couldn’t just find a new one in a matter of hours. 

Biting his tongue until it bled, he stretched out his hand towards hers and shook it.

* * *

After his conversation with The Handler, Five made his way back inside, thankful to find Vanya still taking a shower. 

As he walked into the bedroom, he settled on his makeshift bed made up of blankets and pillows on the floor. He seemed calm as his chest rose up and down, but inside he was anything but. 

The Handler’s proposition kept repeating itself over and over again in his head. To kill the board of directors, where she would then assume control of the commission and prevent the apocalypse from happening. It was a good deal, but he didn’t trust it. He knew The Handler had something up her sleeve but he just couldn't determine what. Sure, she was ambitious enough to just want to be in charge, but he doubted it. The Handler always wanted the apocalypse to happen, for reasons he didn’t know. So he doubted she would let it go out of the goodness of her heart. Not to mention that he would have to leave Vanya alone for a couple of hours, and that didn’t sit well with him. 

Five narrowed his eyes and pressed his cheek against the pillow. She was up to something, and he would find out before he took out the board. 

When the door clicked open, Five shut all thoughts about the commission and The Handler’s proposition deep in his conscience. He didn’t want Vanya worrying further, not when they finally reached an understanding. 

Five watched her feet as she walked around him and made her way to the bed. 

“The bed is big enough for us both, we can share it,” she suggested with a barely audible whisper.

Five propped himself on his arms and looked at her as she slipped inside the sheets.

“Are you sure?” 

He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, that's why he settled for the floor on the first night. 

She shrugged 

“We used to share the same bed all the time when we were kids, I don’t see how this is any different.” 

He wanted to tell her it was very different. His ten-year-old self hadn’t done the things he had done with her... well the other version of Vanya anyway. Not to mention he didn’t have the feelings he had, at least not to this extent. But he said nothing as he got up and settled on the bed beside her, keeping his distance by giving her his back. 

An awkward air filled the room as he stared at the wall ahead. He could hear her rhythmic breathing, but he knew she hadn’t fallen asleep either. 

“Five?” She suddenly asked, her voice soft, as if unsure.

He hummed. 

“Are you awake?”

“I wouldn’t be answering if I wasn’t,” he mumbled. “What is it?”

She waited a few seconds to respond as if mustering some kind of bravery to say what she wanted to say next. 

“You can say no but could you -er- I mean…”

Five didn’t need her to finish her sentence, he knew what she wanted to say because he had been thinking the same thing, craved it as much as her. 

Turning on the spot, he shifted his body closer to her and spooned her. She tensed for a brief second but then melted into him. Much like he had done when he was drunk, he pressed his hand on her belly, a new favourite part of her. 

“Is this fine?” He asked tentatively, his arms stiff around her. 

She didn’t voice her answer and nodded instead. Both of them physically relaxed. They both always did sleep better when they were together. 

He breathed in the sweet smell of her freshly washed hair and slid his eyes closed.

“Good night, Vanya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so Vanya and Five finally talked again, they're getting somewhere folks!!! 
> 
> And finally, I got to introduce The Handler to the story, I really love writing her, she's such a unique character. Though her deal with Five...hmmmmmmmm I can't say much, we are a few chapters away from doomsday, and that's when things get really interesting!!!
> 
> Anyways, thank you guys so much for all your lovely comments!! They always make my day!!


	20. Practice makes perfect

September 3rd, 2006

**Reality B**

“Seven, stop any of the artifacts from getting destroyed,” Luther ordered. 

Vanya nodded. 

They were at the museum, having been called by the city when they got the news that a few robbers had broken in. Although the job seemed easy enough for police to handle, it seemed more and more they were depending on them to do their dirty work. Their father didn’t mind, it meant more publicity. And although she pretended otherwise, Vanya didn’t mind either. She enjoyed going on missions, but she could tell that her siblings were growing more and more frustrated by them. Becoming worn out by the superhero lifestyle.

Running away at full speed from them, the robber grabbed whatever he could get his hands on and threw it at them. Instead of dogging them, Luther caught the artifacts as carefully as he could, but after his hands grew full of them. It was up to her. 

As the robbers took an expensive vase from a pedestal he didn’t so much as turn as he threw the vase over his shoulder. Before it could hit the floor, and shatter a thousand years’ worth of history, she stopped it midair, as she did with all the rest. 

The man’s shoulders jerked a bit as if unsettled by the lack of a shatter but didn’t so much as slow down. She and Luther continued their pursuit. 

She didn’t know why Luther didn’t tell her to stop the robber dead in his tracks instead of chasing him throughout the entire building. But she would not question him. He was number one, and they were a team. Not following orders was a recipe for disaster. Still, it always irked her when he sent their siblings out on their own while he ordered her to stay by his side to do mundane tasks. She could do so much more, but he rarely let her even though she had gone on missions of her own. 

“One, I could sto-”

“No, I got this,” Luther cut her off. 

Using his strength, Luther increased his speed by double. As the man looked over his shoulder, his eyes widened as the 6’2 teenager rammed into him. The lanky looking man didn’t stand a chance as Luther lifted him by his collar. 

Luther grinned triumphantly. 

“Go get the cops Seven, I think we got them all.” 

Vanya didn’t question him as she made her way back to the entrance. They had seen their siblings catch their targets. And she doubted there were any of them left. 

After telling the cops, and they walked further inside the museum where their siblings had the robbers tied up, she heard a warped sound coming from the other side of the room. Before she knew it, a set of arms whisked her from her feet.

Before she could shake the dizziness, a set of arms and body backed her up against the wall. She didn’t need to look to know who it was. 

“Five, what-”

Five didn’t let her finish as he pressed his lips against hers, only allowing a hum to escape. His hands were on either side of her, caging her, his lips moving insistently against hers. 

Her breathing became shallow. 

When he took his lips from hers, he trailed them down her neck, and pushed the uniform collar to the side and pressed his lips there, sucking her skin with force. She didn’t know what brought this on, but she didn’t want it to end. Unfortunately, her better judgement reared its head and Vanya sighed.

“Five, we can’t do this here.” 

He didn’t stop as he pressed his body flushed against hers, his hand tangled in her hair. 

“I don’t see why not,” he breathed, his usual snarky tone dominating his voice, and she wanted to push him closer. But they were right in the middle of a mission, and in public.

“What if someone sees?” 

He smirked against her neck. 

“No one can see.”

Before she could insist, he exhaled and separated from her. Pressing his forehead against hers, he caressed her cheek with his thumb. 

“How much trouble do you think we’ll get if we ditch the party?” 

She smirked. 

“A lot.” 

He hummed as if thinking about it. She knew very well what he wanted to spend his time doing. Neither of them were innocent to physical contact. None of them were. A year back she heard from Klaus that he had lost his virginity to some guy a long time ago. She also once saw Diego being led out of a party they had thrown in their honour by some fangirl. When he came back, he was a shade of red and grinning from ear to ear. She wasn’t stupid; she knew what they had done. She didn’t know about Allison, Ben and Luther but she was certain that the next to lose their virginity were her and Five.

It had just sort of happened really, neither of them having had planned it. They had been at a hotel after a mission, just the two of them. Seeing as they behaved, their dad hadn’t sent Pogo with them as usual or any supervision. Of course, they both had their separate rooms, but after the mission, he had jumped to her room. It started as a simple kiss, but things quickly got heated fast. Before she knew it she was taking off his shirt while he did the same thing, then they were both completely naked on the bed. They weren’t stupid; they knew they needed protection, but seeing as it was unplanned, he had brought none. Thankfully, they found a packet someone had left behind in the nightstand, a condom that fit him. 

It was awkward, a bit painful and a little uncomfortable, but she cherished the memory. 

After that their relationship changed a bit, in that they were more open to physical contact, and yet after that day they never did it again. Something she knew he disliked. He didn’t want to keep sneaking around in the shadows, didn’t want to keep their relationship a secret but they had no choice. Not while they were still in the academy.

Five planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose and looked her straight in the eyes. 

“Let’s go before you’re missed, _Number Seven_.” 

Vanya rolled her eyes. 

Spatial jumping them back to the entrance of the museum, no one bat an eye as they handcuffed the robbers and took them out of the museum. To the side, dad was talking to what appeared to be the chief of police. She turned her head towards their siblings when something caught her attention in her peripheral. 

Turning her head towards the door, her eyes narrowed when she noticed one robber they hadn’t caught trying to sneak out. 

Vanya raised her hand, ready to stop him, but she wasn’t the only one to notice. 

Taking out his knives, Diego threw them at the robber. Vanya didn’t notice until it was too late. With the strength of her power, the knives didn’t even stand a chance as they clattered to the side. Fortunately, the robber didn’t get away as his back hit the wall and he fell unconscious.

All the cops in the museum stopped and turned their gaze at the unconscious robber, then to the knives on the floor and then back to Diego. A few of them let out a snigger, and Diego turned a dark shade of red. 

“That wasn’t my fault, Vanya-”

“Sure thing kid,” the chief of police said, tapping his shoulder.

Diego opened and closed his mouth to argue, but when they felt a firm gaze on them, they all turned to look at their father. His eyes were on Diego. He said nothing, but he didn’t need to, they knew he was displeased. Shaking his head, he turned his back on them. They knew they were going to hear all about it when they got back to the academy. 

Feeling guilty, Vanya walked up to Diego and placed her hand on his shoulder. 

“Diego, I’m sorry I-”

“Yeah, whatever,” he growled and shook his shoulder out of her hold. 

Vanya sighed.

“Don’t mind him. He’ll get over it,” Five told her. 

She continued to stare at Diego’s back as he retreated. She wasn’t too sure about that. 

Seeing as their job was done, the seven of them exited the museum and into the crowds of people waiting outside. As usual, they caught the attention of a rather large crowd. Camera flashes came from everywhere, making her squint her eyes as she tried to turn her head away. 

“Miss Seven over here-”

“Can we get an interv-”

“What do you think the city sho-”

On and on the crowd asked, doing their best to get her attention, something she still wasn’t used to. After her first mission, everyone wanted to know more about her, to the point that she could barely go outside without being recognized. 

_‘You’re that kid that saved that plane, right?’_ They would ask her. 

_‘You’re Number Seven, from the Umbrella Academy!’_ Fans would gush. 

It was a bit exciting at first, but it soon became boring. Everyone seemed to be interested in the superhero Number Seven, but no one seemed to be interested in the girl Vanya. 

“Oh, miss Seven, you’re so wonderful! What brand of shampoo do you use, that’s not weird is it?” Klaus mocked the paparazzi, his voice low enough that only they could hear and Vanya snorted. 

Just as they reached the car, a girl jumped the line and lunged herself at them, more specifically at Five. 

None of them had the chance to react as the girl linked her arms behind his neck and pressed her lips against his. Of course, it wasn’t Five’s fault, he was caught off guard, it’s not the first time a crazy fan had thrown themselves at them. But as Vanya stood there watching _some_ girl kiss him, the electric charge of her power gathered around her, growing in size as Five looked at the girl wide-eyed but didn’t push her away immediately. A wave of anger simmered inside her. 

The streetlight close to them shook and flickered as if mimicking her emotions until it burst. 

Around them, a few people yelped and jumped out of the way of the falling glass. That seemed to snap something inside Five, as he finally pushed the girl away, and turned his attention to Vanya, an innocent doe-eyed look in his eyes. Meanwhile, Vanya’s eyes were ablaze with fury. 

Behind her, Klaus chuckled.

“Well, shit… we’re all gonna die now.”

* * *

Wrinkling her nose, Vanya stirred awake. Behind her Five was still hugging her, his arms around her body, hand resting on her belly. It felt odd as always, but this time it felt less so. This time she let herself enjoy the moment. She felt so warm and cozy; she didn’t want to get up. She nearly closed her eyes again, but then noticed the intensity of the sunlight shining through the curtains 

Tilting her head, she peered at the alarm clock and her brows shot up when she read the time, one pm. All her life she had been an early riser, she usually never slept in this late, but then again she was never this comfortable before. 

Turning on the spot, she tried to pull out of his hug and start her day but he tightened his hold and grumbled, half asleep.

“I don’t wanna go to work.”

She rolled her eyes. He sounded just like his younger self, who would grumble that he didn’t want to go to class every morning. 

“Five, we need to get up. It’s late.” 

He grumbled once more and nuzzled his nose against the back of her hair. She stifled a giggle with how much it tickled. But as the realization hit him, he came back to his senses and his eyes fluttered open, his eyelashes brushing her skin.

“Sorry,” he apologized and shifted away from her, making her feel so cold.

Giving out a yawn, and stretching out his long limbs, he scratched the back of his head, giving her a strange sense of domesticity. It brought her back to those times at the academy where they used to share the same bed as kids, and his terrible case of bed hair. It made her wonder what their daily routine was like with him and the other Vanya. Would he go make coffee for her before she even woke up? And place the mug by the bedside? Or would he stay asleep until she stirred awake so they could start the day together? Would he give her a morning kiss, that would then turn into something more as he pinned her down and… where the hell did that come from? 

Cheeks growing warm, Vanya shot to her feet and made her way to the door before he could see her blush. 

“I’ll go make breakfast,” she stuttered. 

Before she could exit the room, he grabbed her by her hips and gently plopped her back to the bed.

“No, I’m making breakfast,” he told her with a disarming grin that made her heart feel like it just jumped to her throat. 

For a few seconds, she just stared dumbfoundedly at the door even as Five disappeared down the hallway. Clearing her throat and shaking her head, she did her best to lock away whatever that reaction had been about and made her way to the kitchen. 

Five was by the stove, cooking what appeared to be beans or something. Her mind didn’t care. All her attention was on his sweatpants, riding low on his hips. His white shirt clinging to his figure, and his barefooted feet, which she didn’t know why, but it made matters worse as heat pooled in the pit of her stomach. 

What was wrong with her?

Keeping her attention away from him, she walked to the counter and took a few fruits from the bowl a cutting board and a knife. She needed to keep herself busy before her mind ran away from her.

“What are you doing?” He asked, sprinkling some salt on the beans. 

She shrugged.

“I said I was making breakfast, I don’t know what you’re doing.” 

Five pressed his hand on the counter and leaned on it, a brow raised, the corner of his lip curled up into an amused grin.

“Breakfast, sweetheart.”

It was a second after he said it, that Five seemed to realize the error he just made. Almost instantly, an awkward silence hung above them. The only thing that could be heard was the crackling beans. Turning her head away, her cheeks grew hotter than before, and Five shook his head and gave her an apologetic look. 

“-er- sorry.” He scratched the back of his head, seeming more awkward than she had ever seen him before. “Old habits.” 

With the carefree, teasing gone, overtaken by awkwardness instead, Vanya shrugged and forced a smile.

“It’s ok,” she assured him and continued to cut the fruits. “I guess we can both make breakfast together.”

He gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded. 

Once they finished cooking, they both sat and ate their breakfast in relative silence. 

Glancing up from her food, she watched him as he ate. Seeing as he hadn’t shaved since she arrived at this reality, he was growing a slight stubble. She didn’t mind it, not that it was up to her, but it did age him a little. Made him look more mature than he was, and she found she liked that. 

“What?” He suddenly asked, and Vanya nearly jumped on her seat after being caught staring.

“Nothing, I just noticed you haven’t shaved in a while.” 

Five’s brows furrowed a bit, and he pressed his hand against his cheek, feeling the rasp of his beard against it. 

“So I have,” he hummed and went back to eating. “I’ll shave later.”

Something inside her screamed no! Making her open her mouth without her permission.

“I mean, I’m not saying you should... I’m just pointing it out.” 

She shut her lips shut as the heat rose to her face, and to the back of her neck and the tip of her ears, as she did the best impression of a tomato anyone had ever done. 

Damn it, why was this so awkward? What was wrong with her? 

Five cocked his head, his brows furrowed a bit more. 

“You like it?” 

She shrugged, trying to fake nonchalance as she stabbed her food with her fork. 

“I think it looks good on you, sure.” 

Five worked his jaw, as he fixed his expression into a thoughtful one as if he was trying to solve the most difficult equation he had ever come across. Meanwhile, sweat rolled down her forehead. After he seemed to find the answer he was looking for, he cleared his throat and went back to his food. A hint of red coloured the tip of his ears.

“I won’t shave it then if you think it fits me.” 

Clearing the table before she made matters worse, she did her best not to look at him as he did the same. Both of them avoided the other. She even thought about something else, anything else. So she settled on what she would spend her time on. She thought about reading a bit. There was a bookshelf in the small living room. Or maybe she could practice the violin. Now that she knew where the small thumps were coming from, she might be able to concentrate. 

After putting away the last plate, Vanya made her way back to the room to get her violin, but then Five spoke up. 

“I was actually thinking we could test your powers today?” 

She stiffened on the spot. Why was he suddenly interested in her powers? He seemed apprehensive of them, in fact. 

She turned on the spot to face him.

“Why?” 

He shrugged. 

“With everything that’s going on, I think it would be wise to make sure you’re ready to protect yourself if you had to.”

Vanya eyed him for a bit. She knew there was more to it than that, but she doubted she could make him tell her. And besides, he wasn’t wrong. She did need to be prepared just in case. 

“I suppose you’re right, but how would we test that?”

He gazed out the window.

“I have a few ideas.” 

* * *

“Five, I don’t think I can do this.”

“Why?” 

“Because it’s insane.”

Standing by the small lake just outside the cabin, Vanya was staring at the small body of water, her legs parted, stance straight. Five was standing a couple of feet behind her, watching.

When he had lead her out of the cabin to test her powers, she thought they would do something small, like move a few objects. So when he led her to the back of the cabin where the lake was she had been confused about what they were doing there at first, but then he told her, as if it was the most normal thing to say, to use her powers to part the water. At first, she thought he was just messing with her, but when she noticed the completely serious expression on his face, she gawked. 

“It’s not insane,” he told her. 

“This isn’t the bible Five,” Vanya huffed, and he snorted.

“Unlike that book, this is not impossible, not for you.” He leaned back against the tree and gave her a cocky smile. “It’s not like I told you to lift all the water out of the lake.”

Vanya rolled her eyes. 

“Somehow that seems less impossible.”

She turned her back on him, but she could just picture his arrogant grin as he spoke.

“If you think that’s easier, then go ahead.” 

For a second she considered levitating a rock and throwing it at him. She wondered if that was something the other Vanya often did when she was frustrated with him. If she didn’t, then that was a waste of her powers. Five deserves to get a rock thrown at him from time to time. If his ego was allowed to grow, then it would quickly get out of control. It needed to be cut down and trimmed every so often. 

Exhaling through her nose, she lifted her hands toward the lake, doing her best not to see the parallels between what she was doing and her time with Leonard in his cottage. Just as she did then, she felt silly and ridiculous. But unlike before, her powers answered her call, as something in her head just seemed to click, and in a matter of seconds, the water in the lake parted. 

Lips widening into a smile, she turned to face Five who was giving her an I-told-you-so look. 

Vanya didn’t keep the water parted for too long, even though she could have, and the thrumming of her powers was quite something. Once the lake was back to normal, she sauntered back to where he was leaning against the tree. 

“You seem more confident all of a sudden,” he mused. 

She shrugged.

“It’s not every day someone gets to do something like that,” she said nonchalantly, trying to hide her excitement. “Got any other tests? Ones that are a little more challenging than that?” 

Five cocked a brow.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” 

For the rest of the day, he made her do test after test. From lifting small rocks with her powers to changing the weather, his tests grew progressively more challenging. But in the end, she could do them all, albeit with some difficulty at first. 

After a few hours, he stopped to let her sit down and drink a tall glass of water. Before they continued, he asked her if the twin’s heartbeats sounded normal, no doubt worried that putting too much strain on her powers might do them harm. Once she assured him they were just as healthy as yesterday, they went back to their tests.

Once the sunset, Five announced they were done, and they both retreated inside the cabin.

As he walked straight to the kitchen and got dinner ready, she didn’t offer to help. She was tired from all that testing. 

Watching him as he cooked something, she leaned back in her chair.

“How about you?” 

“What about me?” He asked, not turning away from the stove. 

“How good is your control with time travel here?” 

She watched as his shoulder blades stiffened under his shirt, pulling it taut. 

“A bit better,” he answered a few seconds later. “I can jump a few minutes forward or backwards in time, sometimes an hour if I push it.” 

“If you push it?”

It was impressive that Five could control his time-travelling powers here; he had no grasp on them in their timeline. But she supposed it made sense. If he never left, dad probably taught him how to do it, instead of arrogantly learning to do it himself.

Five nodded. 

“Time travel requires a lot of energy, a time machine can take that energy from a power supply. But I gotta take it from myself like I do with spatial jumps.” He continued to cook. “An uncoordinated jump in time takes less energy, but a controlled jump needs considerably more.” 

Lowering the flames, he turned and leaned back on the counter to face her. 

“I tried to extend the amount of time... but it proved impossible,” he sighed, almost as if from defeat. “I’m only human.”

Vanya’s eyes widened a little at that. 

It was strange to hear Five admit his limits, when he was a kid he would always boast about his powers, so much so that it almost seemed like he could do anything. To see him admit he wasn’t as strong as he thought he was made her realize how much he had matured.

Five didn’t have her powers, she took energy from sounds around her; he had to take it from himself, and that was more impressive. 

“Can I see?”

He worked his jaw.

“I think it’s best that I didn’t. If I do a time jump now, it would drain me. Until we’re in the clear with this whole apocalypse thing, I think it’s best that I conserve my energy.”

She didn’t argue with that, but she stiffened a little in her seat. Despite their hideout, which he claimed to be secluded, the commission could still come knocking at any second. A day ago she would have welcomed it. She didn’t want to sit idly while her siblings were in danger, but with the two little constant heartbeats that she heard every second of the day, she changed her mind. Protecting the two individuals to whom those heartbeats belonged, became her priority. 

After they ate dinner, they both retired to the bedroom. As she waited on the bed while he got changed in the bathroom, she thought about their situation and realized what day it was. With how easygoing and fun they had today, she had forgotten entirely that the apocalypse was tomorrow and anxiety took her.

She wondered what would happen if the apocalypse would be avoided or would still happen regardless? At the same time, a thought she had forgotten came back to her. 

When Five entered the room, wearing his pyjamas, she watched him as he put away his clothes.

“Five,” she called and he hummed. “Do you think the Vanya of this reality could have killed dad?”

Five froze halfway through putting his shirt back inside the drawer, his back turned to her.

“What makes you think that?”

She shrugged.

“Luther seemed to think so.”

Five scoffed and proceeded to close the drawer before he turned to her, anger clear on his face.

“Luther says a lot of things. He thought mom was the one to kill dad in our reality.”

Vanya shook her head.

“I didn’t ask if you think she did it, I asked if you think she could have done it?” 

Five set his jaw, his eyes shifting from hers and she just knew he was going to try to change the subject.

“It doesn’t really matter, he’s dead and-“

“It does matter to me.”

Hearing the sharpness in her tone, Five gave out a sigh and joined her on the bed. Inside Vanya was terrified of what she might hear. 

“Much like our reality, the Vanya from this reality hated dad with a passion and for good reasons.”

This she already knew, she saw what their father put her through in this reality. She would be surprised if she didn’t hate him. 

Five took a deep breath. 

“Do I think she could have done it? I think she could have.” 

Everything went quiet, as the air was punched out of her lungs. He leaned closer to her. 

“You both had very different upbringings, Vanya, she was part of the academy, so she was taught how to kill like the rest of us.”

She licked her lips, a nervous tic of hers. 

“Do you know where she was on that day?” 

He sighed and his brows furrowed. 

“Not entirely, I got home late from work that day.” 

The sinking feeling within her worsened. Was she always fated to do this? In her reality she killed Pogo in this one she killed dad. Was there no escaping it? 

“But the day before you told me you wanted to talk to him, just to put that chapter behind you. I thought it was a bad idea.” He placed his hand on top of hers. “I don’t know if you ever got around to it, but it doesn’t matter. He’s dead, there’s no point in stressing over that asshole. He never gave us a second thought. “

“After all, he did to us, to you. He deserved to die.” 

Vanya shifted her eyes back to his and searched the deep green colour of them, a little taken aback by the fiery anger behind them. She knew he hated their father just as much as all of them did, but it still shocked her to hear that. 

She said nothing on the matter, feeling much too tired as she laid down on the bed and he followed. This time he didn’t spoon her, they both faced each other on the bed and he held onto her hand, just like they used to do as children. 

Green eyes searched brown ones in the dark, as he seemed like he wanted to tell her something. 

“Everything’s going to be alright tomorrow,” he assured her, his grip tightened on her hand. “I promise.” 

Although she knew it was difficult to keep such a promise, seeing as he had already failed once to prevent the apocalypse, her body deflated against the bed and her eyes closed. As sleep took her, she kept remembering all those times he promised to protect her from all danger as children, assuring her that he would always be her hero. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vanya is developing feelings for Five, everyone say hallelujah! Honestly, I've been waiting for this moment to come as much as everyone!! These pining idiots!
> 
> Anyways, hope you liked this lighthearted chapter! especially with all, that's to come! 
> 
> Thank you all so much for your comment and your support!!! I can't believe we're one chapter away from the apocalypse.


End file.
